An incendiary array of stars--including Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Peter Berg, Martin Henderson, Taraji Henson and, in their motion--picture debuts, Alicia Keys and Common--star in "Smokin' Aces," the new dark action comedy from Joe Carnahan, the acclaimed director of "Narc."

In these interlocking tales of high stakes and low lifes, Mob boss Primo Sparazza has taken out a hefty contract on Buddy "Aces" Israel (Piven)--a sleazy magician who has agreed to turn state's evidence against the Vegas mob. The FBI, sensing a chance to use this small-time con to bring down big-target Sparazza, places Aces into protective custody-under the supervision of two agents (Reynolds and Liotta) dispatched to Aces' Lake Tahoe hideout.

When word of the price on Aces' head spreads into the community of ex-cons and cons-to-be, it entices bounty hunters, thugs-for-hire, smokin' hot vixens and double-crossing mobsters to join in the hunt. With all eyes on Tahoe, this rogues' gallery collides in a comic race to hit the jackpot and rub out Aces.— More here

Read the full Visual Review here

Read the full Visual Review here

Ace Up His Sleeve
J. Hoberman
Village Voice
Self-important but not untalented, Smokin' Aces is tonally consistent from beginning to end, and, for all its bloody mayhem, kinetic nihilism, and jive minstrelsy, has a surprisingly light touch...

Entertainment that people with genuine talent now make. "B"
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
The latest adrenaline shot to the solar plexus is Smokin' Aces, a cheerfully disposable gangland freak-show thrill ride that's been directed by the gifted Joe Carnahan (Narc) as if he were trying to give the audience a seizure...

Too much from other people's movies.
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
One question hovers over the carnage, though: Whom the hell are we supposed to root for? The closest the movie comes to sympathetic assassins are its hit ladies, yet the payoff to their subplot is the weakest of the bunch.
A hot soundtrack and percussive editing drive the picture, which cinematographer Mauro Fiore shoots in saturated colors. Mary Zophres is allowed to go crazy with her costumes for her ghetto-fabluous hit babes, neo-Nazi fast-change artists and the other hep hitmen...

'Smokin' Aces': No deal
Peter Goddard
Toronto Star
This is from the same Joe Carnahan who impressed mightily with his Sundance hit Narc, a tale of murder and police corruption that was lean, focussed and spellbinding -- everything that Smokin' Aces isn't. What the hell happened?...

video reviews by
david bruce
place pointer over pic to read description

---