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Denzel Washington’s last film, Flight, may have earned him an Oscar nod, but it was far from the kind of enjoyably brainless action movie that he usually makes. Fortunately, he’s back to his usual fun-filled fare in 2 Guns, an action-comedy that pairs the charming star with an equally lovable co-star, Mark Wahlberg.
In 2 Guns, Washington stars as Bobby Trench, an undercover DEA agent who’s tasked with infiltrating a Mexican drug cartel and taking down its ruthless leader, Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). What he doesn’t realize, however, is that his hot-headed partner in crime, Walhberg’s Stig, is also working undercover—for naval intelligence.
After their latest plan backfires, the two learn the truth: that they’re both undercover, working for different agencies—and they’ve apparently been set up to take a fall. Suddenly, they find themselves on the run from drug dealers, military men, and a merciless mystery man.
For the most part, when you go to see a Denzel Washington movie, you know what you’re going to get: plenty of action, a few explosions, a car chase or two, and one cool, smooth-talking hero. Throw Mark Wahlberg into the mix, and you’ve got an easy-going crime thriller with a solid sense of humor.
It would be hard to find two more charming stars for this action-packed twist on the usual buddy cop comedy. Washington is as cool as ever as the level-headed DEA agent, while Wahlberg is hilarious as the tough but corny naval intelligence officer. Together, they make an unlikely pair—but they’re so much fun to watch that they’ll make you happily overlook the film’s head-scratching plot.
As with many other films this summer, the more you think about the story behind 2 Guns, the more ridiculous it is. The set-up is sketchy at best; the details don’t make a whole lot of sense; and the conclusion is messy and needlessly drawn-out. Fortunately, though, it never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously—nor does it try to go too far over the top. Everyone seems to be in on the joke here—and that (along with Washington and Wahlberg) makes the convoluted plot a whole lot easier to accept.
2 Guns is every bit an August action movie. It’s not as big or noisy or in-your-face as something released earlier in the summer, but that’s okay—because the dynamic stars more than make up for the lack of big-budget effects. As long as you don’t try too hard to make sense of the story, you’ll find that it’s a ridiculously entertaining August adventure.
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