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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Smokin' Aces (2007)

Rating: 1 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Every Which Way But Deuce

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Smokin' Aces on DVD

Writer/director Joe Carnahan (Narc) brings his shaky, kinetic style to this pale, distant cousin of Tarantino's breakthrough works from a decade ago, today so stale and derivative that it more closely resembles knockoff Guy Ritchie (Snatch) than QT himself. A huge collection of colorful hitmen, cops and other misfits race one another to get to the Sinatra-like casino performer Buddy 'Aces' Israel (Jeremy Piven), locked away in a primo Lake Tahoe hotel suite. Carnahan's poor planning botches the story's timing, leaving various characters stranded and waiting for large chunks of time, but otherwise it flows directly through the expected, well-worn action/crime movie ruts. The large, poster-friendly cast includes Ben Affleck, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds.

AskMen.com: Smokin' Aces

Starring: Jeremy Piven, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Common, Joseph Ruskin, Alex Rocco, Peter Berg, Martin Henderson, Christopher Michael Holley, Mike Falkow, Joe Drago, Jeff Habberstad, Davenia McFadden, Nestor Carbonell, Chris Pine, Kevin Durand, Maury Sterling, George Fisher, Tommy Flanagan, Curtis Armstrong, Vladimir Kulich, Joel Edgerton, David Proval, Scott Halberstadt, Lorna Scott, Matthew Fox, Lonnie Moore, Wayne Newton
Written by: Joe Carnahan
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use
Running Time: 109 minutes
Date: January 26, 2007