2 Guns Blu-ray Review
Score: 71
from 3 reviewers
Review Date:
2 Guns delivers entertaining action with strong video and audio on Blu-ray, but suffers from a thin plot and excessive twists.
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Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 79
With a killer 1080p AVC-encoded video presentation, '2 Guns' offers deeply saturated colors, excellent detail in close-ups, and superb depth in wide-angle shots. While there are brief instances of softness and minor ringing, the film’s texture, contrast, and black levels are well-executed, maintaining an overall solid video quality.
Audio: 79
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack for '2 Guns' excels in delivering a dynamic, immersive experience with clear dialogue, robust low-frequency effects, and precise directionality, effectively utilizing all system channels to seamlessly integrate action-packed sequences and ambient soundscapes.
Extra: 66
The Blu-ray extras for '2 Guns' provide a diverse and engaging range of content, including overviews of the cast, production vibe, and action effects in featurettes totaling 30 minutes, along with 12 minutes of deleted/extended scenes and a lively director-producer commentary that delves into the film's creative nuances.
Movie: 62
A flashy, convoluted buddy-action film where the chemistry between Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg stands out amid a predictable plot; supporting cast members like Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos, and Paula Patton bring added flair, but the film ultimately falls short of cleverness, relying on its energetic bursts and star power.
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Video: 79
The 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation of "2 Guns" masterfully captures the film's vibrant aesthetic, aligning exceptionally with the director Kormákur and DP Oliver Wood's objectives. Colors are deeply saturated, conveying a warmth that enhances the visual storytelling, with black levels proving exceedingly deep and only intermittent instances of crush. The resolution is discerning in close-up shots, meticulously revealing facial lines and clothing textures. Wide angle shots of sunlit landscapes and intricate stone structures exhibit excellent depth, maintaining a high level of image refinement despite occasional, minor fluctuations in sharpness, which appear to be an inherent characteristic of the original photography.
Additionally, the transfer demonstrates a high level of contrast control that keeps the dynamic range in balance, essential for depicting the hot South Texas environment without going overboard. Despite minor issues with soft focus around edges and infrequent occurrences of film grain, the overall presentation retains a pleasingly filmic texture without being intrusive. It’s noteworthy that the presentation is free from any significant video artifacts such as banding, macroblocking, or aliasing, although minor ringing can be observed sporadically.
Overall, the Blu-ray transfer of "2 Guns" delivers an image filled with fine detail and textural elements that contribute to the picture's vividness and clarity. Occasional soft focus and a general lack of fine detail in certain segments are present but do not significantly detract from the entirety of the visual experience. The film’s presentation maintains a consistent level of quality that honors the filmmakers' vision, making it a solid choice for home viewing.
Audio: 79
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack for "2 Guns" stands out with its impeccable use of the entire audio system. Dialogue is delivered with clarity, displaying a refined vocal character and excellent room penetration. The dynamic range is impressive, providing subtle nuances in quieter scenes and significant weight to the more intense moments. This active surround mix effectively employs the subwoofer and rear channels to create an immersive sound field, faithfully replicating the film’s various environments and seamlessly integrating with the on-screen action. Low-frequency effects are formidable, occasionally filling the room with deep, punctuated bass that enhances the overall experience.
In action-packed sequences, the soundscape is especially engaging. Shootouts, explosions, roaring engines, and helicopter attacks deliver ample low-end heft, ensuring the LFE channel is prominent. Bullets ricochet and shrapnel flies with precise directionality, while smooth cross-channel pans and ambient prowess in both confined and chaotic scenes highlight the mix’s capability. Dialogue remains clear and well-prioritized, even amidst intense action, allowing for easy comprehension without overshadowing the excitement. This careful balance results in an AV presentation that is both cohesive and distinct.
Overall, the DTS-HD Master Audio mix for "2 Guns" satisfies the demands of action movie enthusiasts, providing impactful and enveloping audio that does justice to the film's high-energy scenes. The dynamic range leverages all channels effectively, enriching both the character interactions and the explosive moments. Front speakers handle sound effects and score primarily, while rear channels enhance atmospheric effects and directionality, creating a thoroughly immersive listening environment that complements the engaging visual elements.
Extra: 66
The extras for the "2 Guns" Blu-ray edition present a robust suite of supplementary content that should appeal to any fan of the film. The thoughtful curation includes an engaging commentary by director Baltasar Kormákur and producer Adam Siegel that delves into the film's creation, aiming to answer various fan inquiries while exploring action clichés with both critique and admiration. The extensive featurette "Click, Click, Bang, Bang: The Making of 2 Guns" offers comprehensive insights through cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, encapsulating the project's essence from its comic book origins to its final production nuances. Additionally, the disc includes various promotional and technical featurettes that highlight the cast, production techniques, and action choreography.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Discussion by Director Baltasar Kormákur and Producer Adam Siegel.
- Click, Click, Bang, Bang: The Making of 2 Guns: Extensive tour of the production.
- The Good, the Bad and the Sexy: Cast featurette.
- Finding the Vibe: Production featurette.
- Living Dangerously: Action/FX featurette.
- Undercover and Into Action: Behind-the-scenes featurette.
- Deleted/Extended Scenes: Eight scenes expanding on various moments in the film.
- Bonus DVD: Additional copy of the film.
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy: Digital version compatible with iTunes.
Movie: 62
Baltasar Kormákur’s adaptation of "2 Guns," based on Steven Grant’s graphic novel, blends standard buddy-cop dynamics with a convoluted plot, yielding mixed results. The narrative centers around two undercover agents: Bobby (Denzel Washington), a DEA agent, and Stig (Mark Wahlberg), an NCIS officer, each unaware of the other's true identity. Their mission to steal $3 million from a Mexican drug lord unravels into chaos when they discover the loot totals $43 million. The plot quickly becomes saturated with betrayals and double-crosses, propelling the pair into a series of shootouts and high-stakes chases.
The strengths of "2 Guns" lie in the chemistry between Washington and Wahlberg, whose lively performances keep the film engaging despite its narrative potholes. They share the screen with a vibrant supporting cast, including Bill Paxton as the sadistic Earl, Edward James Olmos as drug lord Papi Greco, and Paula Patton as Bobby’s lover, Deb Rees. Their characters, though colorful, often lack depth and merely serve to support the central duo's antics. The witty banter and playful energy carry the movie through its peaks and valleys, even as the convoluted plot detracts from sustaining real suspense or tension.
On a technical level, "2 Guns" maintains a brisk pace, infused with explosive action sequences and comedic relief that prevents it from lagging. However, its reliance on formulaic twists and genre clichés hampers its potential to rise above similar action films. Despite the adept performances of the leading actors and their scene-chewing counterparts, the plot’s overcomplication ultimately undermines the film’s momentum, resulting in diminished narrative returns. "2 Guns" works best as mindless entertainment—a throwback to 90s action flicks that prioritizes fun over substance.
Total: 71
"2 Guns" offers a high-octane, buddy-comedy spectacle with a plethora of thrilling action sequences that should satisfy fans of the genre. The film's strong suits include the unexpected chemistry between leads Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, who bring a surprising amount of charisma to their roles. However, despite its engaging performances and entertaining premise, the narrative often feels weighed down by its overreliance on double-crosses and plot twists, making it feel repetitive and stretched thin.
Universal's Blu-ray release excels in technical presentation, providing a commendable video performance and a striking DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that enhances the viewing experience. The high-definition visuals capture every explosive scene with crisp clarity, while the audio mix delivers impactful action soundscapes that immerse the audience. Besides its audiovisual excellence, the Blu-ray package also includes a solid array of special features. These extras offer some intriguing insights and behind-the-scenes content that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the film and collectors alike.
In conclusion, while "2 Guns" may falter in its storytelling with an overstuffed plot, it compensates with an appealing dynamic between its leads and robust technical execution on Blu-ray. Its combination of quality audio-visual elements and decent special features ultimately renders it a worthwhile addition to an action enthusiast's collection.
Blu-ray.com review by Kenneth BrownRead review here
Video: 90
Contrast is a touch hot and delineation oppressive, but colors are warm and carefully saturated, black levels are exceedingly deep (with only intermittent instances of crush), and skintones look great....
Audio: 90
Shootouts, explosions, throaty dune buggies, roaring engines and thundering helicopter attacks feature ample low-end heft, and the LFE channel makes its presence known....
Extras: 60
Click, Click, Bang, Bang: The Making of 2 Guns (HD, 30 minutes): This fairly extensive tour of the production comes complete with plenty of cast and crew interviews, behind the scenes footage, a look at...
Movie: 60
It's a wild free-for-all that doesn't try to hide the Big Dumb Fun coursing beneath its surface, with Olmos, Marsden and especially Paxton having the times of their lives....
Total: 80
Universal's Blu-ray release is much better, with a terrific video presentation, hard-hitting DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a solid complement of special features sure to satisfy fans of the...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
In addition, there is a consistently high level of contrast that helps keep the image from running too wild with its depiction of the hot South Texas environment – though there are times when the image...
Audio: 80
In fact, one of the most remarkable things about the mix is the way it manages to balance the separate parts of the soundtrack and make them meld together in a cohesive, but distinct manner....
Extras: 60
– This is a basic behind-the-scenes featurette that includes everyone from Washington and Whalberg to Steven Grant and the producers....
Movie: 40
Meanwhile, Washington, too, has lightened up, leaving behind his recent tortured protagonist roles of recent memory to give Trench a far more charismatic presence that actually matches the borderline screwball...
Total: 60
And while that will be all some are looking for out of the film, there will be others who would have liked to have seen more of a compelling story developed around two remarkably likable characters brought...
AVSForumRead review here
Video: 88
Resolution is discerning during close up camera shots of the cast revealing detail in the visible lines in their faces and the weave and texture of their clothing....
Audio: 88
This creates a believable and enveloping sound field that replicates the film’s various interior/exterior environments while perfectly mating with on the onscreen elements....
Extras: 60
Living dangerously – 9 minute action/FX featurette (HD) 8 Deleted/extended scenes (HD) Undercover and into action – 6 minute featurette Bonus DVD Ultraviolet Digital Copy...
Movie: 60
Studios graphic novels by Steven Grant, it’s a formulaic buddy action/shoot ‘em up with a lightly comedic undertone and a straight forward plot containing one or two twists that only the greenest of genre...
Total: 74
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video) System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control Canton "Ergo" Series speakers Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers SV Sound PB-13...
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Actors: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton
PlotTwo operatives from competing bureaus—Robert Trench, an undercover DEA agent, and Michael Stigman, a naval intelligence officer—are unknowingly investigating each other. They are both involved in an attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions of dollars. Using aliases, their mission is to rob a bank near the Mexican border that is believed to be a front for the cartel's money laundering operations. However, each man distrusts his partner as much as the criminals they have both sworn to take down.
When the bank heist yields $43 million—far more cash than either operative anticipated—it quickly becomes evident that they've been set up. Their respective agencies disavow any knowledge of their actions, and it turns out that the money they stole was not actually cartel cash but a slush fund belonging to the CIA. Cut off from their official support and with the cartel and CIA on their tails, Trench and Stigman are forced into an uneasy alliance. Now on the run, they must figure out how to clear their names, keep the money, and survive long enough to uncover the true forces behind the set-up.
Writers: Blake Masters, Steven Grant
Release Date: 02 Aug 2013
Runtime: 109 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English, Spanish