‘2 Guns’ Early Reviews Are A Mixed Bag

Baltasar Kormakur’s 2 Guns is getting mixed reviews ahead of its release this Friday (August 2).

Based on the graphic novels by Steven Grant, the film stars Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg as two undercover agents who are hunted after a covert operation goes awry. James Marsden, Bill Paxton, Fred Ward, and Edward James Olmos co-star.

Despite the impressive talent in front of the camera, critics aren’t entirely thrilled with Kormakur’s 2 Guns. Although there are only a handful of reviews making the rounds at the moment, these write-ups are a decidedly mixed bag.

“Quickly degenerates into boilerplate Hollywood sound and fury, complete with a climactic Mexican standoff that revolves around a massive, burning pile of money. Irony, thou art lost,” Time Out New York critic Keith Uhlich wrote in his review.

Stephanie Zacharek of the Village Voice wasn’t impressed with 2 Guns either. Although her review wasn’t entirely negative, she said that the movie wasn’t altogether different from the plethora of other action movies that are currently on the market.

“The problem with so many current action movies, this one included, is that once you’ve seen one, you can’t help feeling you’ve seen them all,” she explained.

However, not all of the 2 Guns reviews dwell on what the cast and crew got wrong. Variety critic Scott Foundas seemed to enjoy the film for what it is: a throwback to the days when action movies could be shamelessly stupid and empty-headed.

“Kormakur shows he knows his way around an action movie better than most, keeping the pace quick, the banter lively and the old-school, mostly CGI-free thrills delivering right on schedule,” Foundas wrote.

As of this writing, Kormakur’s latest endeavor is perched at 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Judging from the reviews currently making the rounds, it’s hard to tell if this number will increase or decrease as the release date approaches.

Are you planning to catch 2 Guns in theaters this weekend? What do you think about the early reviews?

[Image via Universal Pictures]