Smokin' Aces

A few years back, Joe Carnahan wrote and directed a taut Indy thriller called "Narc" starring Ray Liotta and Jason Patric. "Smokin' Aces" doesn't even come close as a follow up.

Starring Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, and Alicia Keys, the film is a bad live action cartoon. The characters are poorly written and what passes for acting is a downright shame. Mr. Liotta phones in his FBI agent. Mr. Garcia plays his role on sleep aids and Jeremy Piven just dissolves deeper and deeper into a messy drug stupor.
Ms. Keys does an adequate job in her first role (a strange choice) in a major film. And since his is the best written character, Mr. Reynolds outshines everyone else in the film. No wonder Ben Affleck and Matthew Fox have unaccredited cameos. The film is a mess.

The ending, in particular, is truly terrible. While it's effect is dramatic, it makes no sense at all and stretches what little credibility the film has beyond the limit. Another fine example of the junkyard January has become for movies.