The 2000s produced some pretty crazy action highlights that had more value The most absurd scenarios and adrenaline-driven characters possible than on sophisticated storylines. Just think of films like Crank or Shoot ‘Em Up. The action fireworks Smokin’ Aces from 2006, which you can watch on TV this evening, also belongs to this category.
Action festival Smokin’ Aces on TV: That’s what the film is about
The windy show magician and professional card gambler Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven) has turned mafia boss Primo Sparazza (Joseph Ruskin) against him. The latter therefore wants to get the small-time crook out of the way and starts $1 million bounty on Buddy, who then barricades himself in a luxury hotel room.
However, his whereabouts quickly become known numerous contract killers (including Chris Pine, Joel Edgerton and Alicia Keys) who want to make their way into the hotel in order to win the prize. At the same time, the FBI, led by agents Richard Messner (Ryan Reynolds) and Donald Carruthers (Ray Liotta), also wants to get to Buddy in order to win him over as a key witness against Sparazza.
When everyone finally meets in the hotel, something happens extremely leaden and bloody escalationwhere no stone is left unturned.
Smokin’ Aces boasts tough action, bizarre characters and stars en masse
Smokin’ Aces is one of those many films that consciously strive for the coolness factor of the works of Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and Guy Ritchie (Jack Queen King GrAs). On the other hand, one has to be honest, the entertaining action hit clearly lacks directorial sophistication and aesthetic elegance.
Nevertheless, director Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Boss Level) also knows his craft quite well and delivers a colorful potpourri strange characters, brutal action and cynical humor away. Another plus point: Carnahan quickly makes it clear that at no time is it certain which character will survive or die, which gives the film a certain tension.
Furthermore, he could do one excellent cast in front of the camera gather, which includes, among others, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, Ben Affleck, Joel Edgerton, Common and Taraji P. Henson. Jeremy Piven deserves special mention here as the nervous wreck Buddy Israel and him terrific Chris Pinewho, as the completely psychopathic neo-Nazi Darwin Tremor, torpedoed his RomCom image at the time almost immediately.
When will the action spectacle Smokin’ Aces be on TV?
Smokin’ Aces is playing tonight on December 17th at 10:25 p.m. on Tele 5. The station will show the repeat on December 19th at 2:10 a.m.
The actioner is currently not available in any streaming flat rate. You can buy or rent the film on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and the Sky Store.