 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Smokin' Aces
- Review Date: April 16, 2007
- R
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Chaotic, violent, and unoriginal. Not for kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this fast-paced shoot-'em-up isn't for kids. While its combination of over-the-top violence and sardonic attitude produces a certain sort of humor, it's full of bloody injuries and destruction. Most of the characters -- assassins, law enforcement officers, gangsters, bounty hunters, and bodyguards -- are experts in lethal violence who use everything from guns and knives to explosions and disguises. Lots of smoking and drinking, and several characters do drugs repeatedly and excessively (mostly cocaine, but also marijuana and pills). Characters discuss sex, women wear revealing outfits and "play" prostitutes, a young boy develops a "comic" hard-on while showing off his martial-arts skills, and two of the assassins are lesbian lovers. Incessant swearing (over 100 uses of "f--k," plus other language, including the "N" word).
What's the story?
SMOKIN' ACES revolves around a Vegas card trickster named Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven). An odious, self-absorbed, and emotionally weak Vegas "celebrity," Buddy's the sort of stereotypical character that other gangster/cop movies set off as secondary. But here, Buddy -- in a fit of fear for his life -- decides to give up his mob associates to the feds, which means he's now the target of any number of killers, all seeking the $1 million prize offered by aging mafioso Primo Sparazza (Joseph Ruskin).
Is it any good?
The third film directed by Joe Carnahan (his last film, Narc, was a darkly evocative consideration of masculine intimacy and loyalties), Smokin' Aces offers broadly differentiated assassins who compete with reckless, ugly abandon.
Its incomplete list of players doesn't quite indicate the pile-on of firepower that will converge for the final showdown -- not to mention the convolutions of plot that draw everyone to the same location (betrayals, mishaps, sinister designs, etc.). Repetitive and unsurprising, the movie careens along with a galumphing zip, unabashed about its lack of sense even as it sets up a "clever" payoff that's visible from a mile away. Most of the characters have just enough screen time to mouth off with some venom, then die spectacularly.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the film's multiple sets of partners (professional, familial, and romantic). How do these characters try to protect each other in the face of horrendous aggression? How does the film portray the FBI as being corrupt? How does the agents' corruption compare to that of the gangsters and assassins? How does the film pull together its many plot strands? Does the film offer any sort of commentary on action movie conventions in its excessiveness? At what point does movie violence get to be too much? Who's the judge of what's acceptable and what's over the top?
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AGE
Great Film - No kids allowed!
This was a great film, although confusing in parts. It was frantic enough to satisfy my short attention span.
Great characters, fun plot... I wish they had made it into more films. I want a movie based on the Neo-Nazi Tremor Brothers!
The violence is over the top, although not gory, still too intense for children.
Language is so bad that I tuned out the swearing after the 60th F word. It lost its shock value at that point.
Sexually, there was no on screen intercourse, although some fairly graphic visual and conversation about its aftermath.
For fans of Pulp Fiction and Boondock Saints, just no kids.
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AGE
i truned it off
I HATED this movie, it was so gross that i had to turn it off. And i love action Movies but, this movie was too much! From what i saw the language was horrible useing the f word and sexual erms including p=ss=, the sex and nudity was kinda ok but, it showed some hookers one topless. The VIOLENCE WAS HORRIBLE when they intorduce some of the charecters it shows that some of the charecters torcher people and it showes naked people being torcherd, including showing genetial torcher on a man. [does nto show it but does make it clear on what is going on by showing the back end. A man chews his fingers off. I HATED this movie and i din even watch 30 min of the movie so just guess what else is on it... 18+
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AGE
Graphic
Very gory shoot'em up rip-off but in sort a way it's quiet funny, and it has great set of humour, sex, drugs and violence. It has gore but nothing too gratitous
good for 16+
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AGE
very entertaining movie
I know it's gotten bad reviews, but I still liked it. So many action movies ruin themselves by trying to make an emotional story (that no one ends up caring about) that takes away from the action. This movie definatly does not skimp out on the action and I still cared about the characters. I thought it was very well made and was the best action movie Ive seen in a long time
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AGE
Boring.
This movie was very dull, and not worth anybodies time. Don't see it, you'll be glad.
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AGE
ITS GOOD
GOOD MOVIE...LOTS OF VIOLENCE.... NOT REALLY ANY SEX IF YOU ARE OK WITH YOUR KID WATCHING VIOLENT MOVIES....WATCH IT!!!
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AGE
i thought it was okay
you dont want your kids seeing all that blood,sex,and use of drugs like that so parents dont let your kid see that movie
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AGE
Very violent, lots of blood
This is a very good, although very mature movie. There is a bit of nudity, sexual dialog, and drug use. The violence is very bloody and graphic. Not for young kids or teens. Know your teen. The language is also very strong,Overall this is a good action movie.
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| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Joe Carnahan |
| Cast: | Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 105 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 25, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | April 17, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. |
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