Guns, Girls And Gambling is an absolute doozy of a film. The term 'so bad it's good' was invented for slapdash mockeries such as this, and with every stylistic cliché and ridiculous tactic, it owns the moniker vigorously. The filmmakers are obvious disciples of the neo noir crime thriller, as we see countless hard boiled walking stereotypes prance across the screen. Whenever a character shows up, a garish font announces them in writing below, which is crime genre 101. This happens so many goddamn times though, that eventually I felt like I was watching Mel Brooks's attempt at a heist flick. It's silly beyond words, derivative enough to give you the onset of dementia and admirably dumb. But... I still had fun, at least in parts of it. It concerns the theft of a priceless Native American artifact from a tribal casino. The perpetrators? A gang of Elvis impersonators with, let's say, interesting characteristics. There's gay Elvis (Chris Kattan), midget Elvis (Tony Cox), Asian Elvis (Anthony Wong) and Gary Oldman Elvis, played by Gary Oldman who looks like he was dared into taking the role at a frat party. The bumbling Elvises break ranks post heist and the plot thickens, or should I say befuddles, with the arrival of every kooky, sassy assassin and archetype under the sun. Now from what I could make out: Christian Slater plays a dude called John Smith, a 'wrong place at the wrong time' type of guy who is swept up into the intrigue and is in way over head. He's pursued by all kinds of unsavory people, and joined by the girl next door (Heather Roop). There's The Cowboy (a salty Jeff Fahey), a gunslinging hit-man who claims to never miss but literally misses upon firing the first bullet. The Indian (Matthew Willig) is a hulking tomahawk sporting badass. The Chief (Gordon Tootoosis) is the casino owner, muscling in on everyone to get back his artifact. The Sheriff (Dane Cook) is a corrupt lawman out for anything worth a buck. Best of the bunch is a snarling Powers Boothe as The Rancher, a good ol' southern gangster who languishes in a white limo longer than the cast list of this movie, chewing scenery as vigorously as his cigar. There's also a sexy blonde assassin called The Blonde (Helena Mattson) who wanders around quoting Poe right before she blasts people's heads off. Its inane, mind numbing eye candy, with a cast that seems to have been blackmailed into participation. There's even a last minute twist ending that seems to have wandered in from a much more serious film. It's quite literally one of the most stupefyingly odd flicks I've ever seen. It's earnestness in aping countless Pulp Fiction style films before it is beyond amusing, and the only thing that will make you laugh harder is how spectacularly and epically it flounders. It's truly B movie gold, and one that demands a watch simply because it's a sideshow unto itself.
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NateWatchesCoolMovies24 March 2016
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scottyexpress22 September 2012The title says it all. This movie is all about the fun, no award buzz here, but I really liked it. Let me confess, I'm a Christian Slater fan, True Romance is one of my favorite movies of all time. That was made what, twenty years ago, and time has been very kind to him, he has aged very well. Still the same hair cut too.
Christian plays a guy named John Smith, who is having a bad life. His girl has left him for another guy, and he finds himself in an Indian casino out in the middle of nowhere. He isn't having much luck on the slots, so he decides to enter an Elvis impersonator contest just for kicks and hopefully win a buck or two. He doesn't win, but he does meet a girl. Unfortunately, the girl dumps him right after stealing his wallet.
So, Mr Smith gets drunk and enters a poker game with his fellow Elvis impersonators: Gay Elvis, Midget Elvis (Bad Santa), Asian Elvis, and Elvis Elvis (Gary Oldman). He loses the rest of his cash, passes out, and wakes up to find out that he is now the prime suspect in the theft of a valuable Indian death mask stolen from the casino owner. The casino owner isn't happy, and will go to great lengths (murder) to get it back. The rest of the movie involves John and a beautiful young heroine trying to get the mask back for a substantial reward. Lots of funny quips, politically incorrect humor, good looking women, Elvis, and violence. Whats not to like? -
hanskemperink23 September 2012I was wondering why Gary Oldman would appear in this film, which was one of the reasons i picked it up.
Christian Slater's stardom has long since faded, Dane Cook has yet to be funny in a movie and who's ever heard of Michael Winnick.
A 3.5 on IMDb also didn't bode well. But it was also not really a accurate representation of the quality of this movie. Don't get me wrong, this is still a B-flick in every way, but i've seen far worse. I found it to be mildly entertaining.
The movie doesn't take itself very seriously, acting's OK, a couple of jokes here and there.
If you have nothing to watch, you can rent this movie. Just don't pay/expect too much. -
witster1827 February 2013I kinda knew what to expect before I hit play. Straight to video. Christian Slater. A title like "Guns, Girls, and Gambling". But, I like Slater, and I also like girls and gambling, so I thought, what the hay.
G3 is, well, Tarantino-light. All the style and fun storytelling, all the fun characters, only the script is pretty bad. The story is fine, but the lines are borderline terrible.
Now, G3 doesn't take itself seriously, which does lighten the mood just enough to get through it. Slater is as good as he can be, and the cast is chock-full of surprising cameo's. This Winnick guy must know a lot of people in Hollywood, but unfortunately, none of them are writers.
The twists in the storyline are nice, and it was nice to see Slater dawn the Elvis sunglasses again. The film does have some comedic moments, and the second-half of the feature is better than the first.
The films' chronological time-jumping is it's best asset. In that way, the film is actually put together quite well, and works, but the writing completely undermines the entire effort.
Falls in the bottom half of the last 100 films that I've viewed, but I didn't feel like I completely wasted my $1.31 at the redbox. I'll be sure to get it back today though.
You MIGHT like this if you liked:Smokin Aces(better), The Big Lebowski(much better), Hit and Run(better), Jonah Hex(slightly better), Operation Endgame(worse), Bunraku(worse). -
johnboyblues28 September 2012I think this movie is being unfairly judged by some of the previous reviewers. Yes, as previously stated, it does has Tarantino and Rodrigues overtones but I think that was the idea. Winnick was undoubtedly using the formulas that made both of those Directors/Writers/Actors famous.
Unlike some other reviewers, I liked the movie. The Blonde was right in line with someone that Tarantino would have crafted to include the over the top duel automatics protruding from the hips above her rear. I don't know how she managed to slink around in broad daylight with such devices in plain sight but hey, this is a movie, right? Who can resist watching a flick with Gary Oldman? If you've ever seen The Professional or The Fifth Element, as well as other great performances, Oldman is a classic actor of the highest calibre. Bizarre, yes but still classic.
Powers Booth has had varying success during his career and his appearance in this piece was similar to that in Extreme Prejudice. There is little doubt of his ability if you've ever seen The Jim Jones story about the Jonestown mass suicide in Guyana. As usual he presented a magnetic being that you love to hate.
I think if the movie had the name Tarantino or Rodrigues affixed to it, you would see higher ratings but alas, it may take this director time to reach the pinnacle of success claimed by Quinten and Robert. -
brchthethird14 November 2014While there is a pervasive sense of fun with tongue firmly in cheek, this movie is ultimately too derivative to be that memorable. Most of all, it's just lazy. Most of the characters, if you can really call them that, don't even have names. The writer(s) also must have thought they were being really clever by having movie clichés and racial stereotypes blatantly pointed out, yet they use them like they were going out of style (see what I did there...). The bare thread of a plot is about a bunch of people who are after a priceless Apache/Hopi warrior mask that was stolen from an Indian/Native American casino. Some of those colorful caricatures include four different Elvis impersonators, a rancher, a cowboy, a college student, two sheriffs a lesbian prostitute and a blonde assassin who wears black and has a penchant for quoting Edgar Allan Poe. And that, my friends, is as far as the character development goes. What's worse is that the movie is clearly trying to ape Tarantino and Rodriguez, but it does it really badly. Still there are a few moments you'll laugh at, and the movie is mercifully short. It also has a pretty good soundtrack. Overall, if you're looking for some time to kill it's not too bad. Just don't go in expecting a good movie.
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First of all, I must admit that my expectations to this movie was not at the higher end of the scale. However, it turned out that director and director Michael Winnick managed to pull off quite a surprisingly nice movie, and an entertaining movie at that too.
I was initially interested in watching the movie because of the cast, which included Gary Oldman, although in a minor role only, unfortunately. But it also had Christian Slater in the lead role, and he actually carried his weight quite nicely.
The storyline was quite interesting, as it was fast paced, had a really solid script, and the storyline was really unpredictable. And most of the times, the twists and turns that the story took just makes you go "what just happened?" And it worked out so well in favor for the movie.
Writer Michael Winnick has also managed to create some very good, witty and interesting dialogue for the characters in the movie. And that really helped the movie to stay fresh and interesting, if that is an appropriate term for such. Lots of great chatter and banter back and forth between the various characters.
And then, of course, there was the acting. As I stated earlier on, they had a great cast ensemble whom did really good jobs with their given roles and characters. And this was true from both the lead and supporting cast.
"Guns, Girls and Gambling" was a genuinely entertaining movie that really turned out to be a nice surprise. If you haven't already seen the movie, then I can warmly recommend that you take the time to sit down to do so. -
Wizard-823 February 2013I have to admit that when I sat down to watch "Guns, Girls, and Gambling", I wasn't expecting that much. I thought the title sounded lame (and I still feel that way.) And there was the fact that Christian Slater was in the movie, an actor who has churned out one lame direct-to-DVD movie after another for some years now. But to my surprise, I really enjoyed this movie. The script is very clever, slowly unpeeling one layer at a time, and careful enough to leave some surprises right at the very end. The screenplay is also very funny at times - there were a number of moments when I laughed out loud, something I seldom do when watching a movie. The movie is also very well made on a low budget - I watched the movie on Blu- ray, and it looked very slick and colorful. And Christian Slater is actually pretty good in the movie's central role. But most of the credit for the movie's success is due to writer/director Michael Winnick. I look forward to his next movie.
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SnoopyStyle3 November 2013Someone has stolen a valuable Native American mask stolen during a Elvis impersonator poker game at a casino. Now everybody is hunting all the Elvises in search of the mask. Writer/director Michael Winnick can't quite elevate this more than an overstylized B-movie indie. At least it seemed to enjoy the sarcastic tone of the movie.
I am surprised at how many big time actors are in this movie. I'm not sure how he got Christian Slater to star as the lead. He's quite effective by filling the screen with his manic energy. Then they got Powers Boothe, Chris Kattan, and OMG!! Gary Oldman to take minor roles. Sure they're stuck with a guy like Dane Cook. But Megan Park does a nice Girl Next Door 'Look Behind You' character.
The story is a rolling twisty roller coaster. The production value is quite low. At least Helena Mattsson is squeezed into this hot outfit as The Blonde. If the convoluted story doesn't blow your mind, her boobs will. -
bowmanblue24 June 2014This film mainly reminded me of (the far superior) 'Lucky Number Sleven'. I won't say why, because that might spoil it for you if you watch 'Guns, Girls and Gambling.' The two films follow (dare I say a 'more British' style?) genre of film where a character gets into trouble with numerous different warring factions (normally gangsters – think Lock Stock, Snatch and Layer Cake) and ends up having to dodge the lot of them and/or pit them against each other in order to come out on top.
Christian Slater's offering is – sadly – not quite as good as any of those films I've mentioned. However, that's not to say it didn't have a certain charm. Did I like it? Yes, I did. It kept me entertained for its duration. It's not the longest of films, but it does have some fun scenes which go a long way to make me stay the distance.
From the title, you can probably tell that it is going to be a little tongue-in-cheek. It could never be played totally straight. There's plenty of black humour as one assassin murders another, before being offed himself in another gruesome way. There are plenty of characters, all of which get their own 'freezeframe introduction,' complete with title. This probably happens a little too often and ceases to be cool pretty soon, especially as most of the characters get killed only a few scenes after they're introduced. The other downside – in my opinion – is the blonde 'bombshell' assassin who spouts poetry before she kills her victims. It's supposed to be cool, but it just doesn't work and I found it pretty hard to stand.
You may have noticed Gary Oldman on the cover. That's about his biggest part in the film. What he does is little more than an extended cameo, but – naturally – he steals every scene he's in. There are some twists in the story – some you'll see coming, others may take you by surprise, but by the time the credits roll, you'll feel satisfied that everything adds up (well, just, but it does more than it doesn't!).
If you like those sorts of Guy Richie gangster movies, or are just looking for something loud, a bit cheesy and quick, then give this one a go. It's no classic, but it is entertaining if you set your sights low enough.
http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/ -
travis12-611-47452117 February 2013The title, which sounds like a prop list, should have clued me in that this effort would be about as original and inspired as butter on toast -- an infinitely shallow and stupid Tarantino pastiche cobbling together every trite and overdone Hollywood cliché of the last 20 years. I ejected it after about 30 minutes.
The opening sequence is enough to tell you how bad this will get -- an Elvis impersonator (God, not again!) sitting at an isolated bus stop in... the American southwest (Gary Oldman). From out of nowhere, a hot babe assassin (not Uma Thurman this time) in stiletto heels appears miraculously, swaggers onto the bus and blasts away at Oldman with her stylish Gucci pistols. You can hear the director almost screaming, "Hey, I'm another Tarantino! Give me a chance!" Only he's not. The cast quickly overpopulates with a mind-numbing parade of cardboard cutouts, introduced with freeze frames and jittering titles: "The Girl Next Door." "Asian Elvis." "Midget Elvis." "The Cowboy." The usual spectacle of tired violence and mayhem ensues.
This kind of cool campy violence has come under a lot of critcism after all the mass shootings recently. Cheap thrills, and morally obtuse, making this effort bad on another level.
If Saturday Night Live had produced a satirical skit on how to produce a paint-by-number Hollywood film to entertain jaded morons, they couldn't have done a better job. than this turkey. -
alex-frey-pattaya25 November 2012This film was one of the biggest surprises in the last 2 years given the bad ratings on IMDb. It just seems people have no clue how to handle a self ironic movie making fun about itself.
Not every movie with good old fashioned music and edgy characters is a Tarantino rip off! Hands down this movie is close to being brilliant, it got everything you expect from it and yet you will end up completely surprised.
The ending will proof to you that it was thought through scene by scene and if you can oversee the bad ratings and watch it with an open mind you will love it. -
rgblakey9 January 2013There are numerous films that hit the straight to video market featuring a great cast that delivers some interesting filmmaking, but just never get the push you would think. The latest Guns, Girls, and Gambling sports a cast featuring Christian Slater, Gary Oldman, Powers Boothe, Jeff Fahey, Chris Kattan, Sam Trammell, Tony Cox and Dane Cook. The trailer looked pretty entertaining, but the title alone explains why it didn't get the wide release push, but it also has potential of delivering something fun or a total train wreck.
Guns, Girls, and Gambling follows a wild and crazy heist story featuring Elvis impersonators, Indians, cowboys, a blond assassin, a frat boy, corrupt cops and a prostitute all out for one thing, a priceless American Indian artifact stolen during a poker game. This film is just as wacky as the title implies. The case seems to be having a great time with this over the top silly and fun story to deliver a fun ride. The story isn't anything all that new, pretty much taking the mistaken identity direction with everyone out to get the same thing while assuming one character has it, while they have no idea what is going on. There is a wide range of crazy characters popping up that are over the top, but somehow manage to work. Christian Slater has always been great, but for some reason been bumped to the straight to video market lately, but this is by far the best film he has delivered and really seems to having a great time. Seeing Gary Oldman walk around as an Elvis impersonator is pretty much worth the film and the fact that he seems to be having fun with it makes it that much better. The rest of the cast do great with their parts to bring this violent dark comedy to life.
This is one of those films that doesn't deliver anything all that new, but has enough star power and fun to create a film worthwhile to check out. Unlike most of the films like this that are released straight to video this one works and delivers exactly what the title says. If you like any of these actors and just want to have a crazy ride through an over the top story of violence, betrayal, cowboys, Indians, and Elvis then this is the movie for you. -
bangotti13 July 2018Movie is slightly entertaining, but holy s*it does the writing suck
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nogodnomasters5 December 2018This is a wannabe grindhouse. It has all the style, but not the substance. John Smith (Christian Slater) is at an Indian casino and participates in an Elvis impersonator contest. One of the contestants steals a rare mask from the casino which culminates into a hunt for Elvis impersonators.
"The Blonde" (Helena Mattsson) recites Edgar Allen Poe poetry and rather badly as she too hunts for the mask. This grindhouse aspect of Poe reading was done rather well by Daryl Hannah in "Eldorado in 3D." The fact is that they stole the idea and could not improve upon it.
Be warned that Christian Slater performed as well in this one as he did in "Hatfields and McCoys: Bad Blood" and "Soldiers of Fortune."
The film has some twists, but lacks any serious clues, so don't look for any. The dialogue and jokes become stale as we get a constant barrage of Native American vs. Indian or midget Elvis vs. little person Elvis humor. The Asian listing the stereotypes wasn't funny either. It is a film for those who will watch anything grindhouse, even those that don't measure up. Wayne Gretzy's daughter Paulina has a minor role as "the deputy."
Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity (Heather Roop). -
LeonLouisRicci3 April 2013From the title forward there isn't anything original in this wink and nod Movie that, to be kind, has got to be an homage and not a rip-off. It is so blatantly obvious that it can be nothing else. For those unaware, for those wondering, there is a Mamie Van Doren Drive-In Flick from 1959 called Guns, Girls, and Gangsters.
After that, we have here every modern Cult Movie cliché wrapped together in a Direct to Video (who decides this thing?) star-studded Comedy/Action wisp that is so full of froth that it glides along with jaw dropping easiness. It is Photographed and presented with absolute Professionals at the controls and it all seems like an in-joke on us. A moonlighting gig with walk through appearances.
But it is all handled so well that it is quite a mystery as to why? This is a well made tax-write off for someone with the help from a lot of friends. That could be one explanation. There are probably others, but who knows? In the end it is mildly entertaining and not the worst of this kind of reflective junk. There is enough here to keep your interest and it is watchable despite itself. -
cosmo_tiger3 January 2013"Give me the mask!" Six Elvis impersonators are sitting around playing poker, in the morning one of them (Slater) wakes up alone at the table and is quickly accused of stealing a Native American mask. Trying to convince everyone that he is innocent he tries to find the real thief. One by one people wind up dead and time is running out for him. I have said for a while that just because a movie has an all star cast doesn't mean that it's automatically good. This is an exception. I'm not saying that this is an amazing movie because it's not but this is just plain and simple a fun movie to watch. This is one of the better straight to video movies that I have seen in a while. The writing is very witty and funny. Running gags and repetitive one-liners make the movie funny and fast moving. This is the type of movie you can just put in and watch without having to think about. I like those sometimes. Overall, a very entertaining movie with witty writing. I give it a B+.
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Why do bogus filmmakers continue to attempt to emulate the brilliance of a Quentin Tarantino or a Guy Ritchie flick? Just by adding an endless stream of different characters and freeze framing their names like "The Cowboy", "The Chief", "The Rancher", "The Indian", "The Girl Next Door" and "The Blonde" as just a few examples is silly and boring and very much overdone. And I do mean overdone! There must have been 20 or more characters they introduced with the freeze frame title approach in an effort to make the plot more interesting and confusing. Sorry but I just found it boring and a poor copycat of both Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie's film technique. The plot is everyone and their brother are chasing Christian Slater who plays John Smith because they believe he stole a mask in the middle of a poker game which is a rare priceless Indian artifact.
For these types of movies to really be effective they need to have a great story line, which this film does not come close to having. The film does have several Elvis impersonators including a gay Elvis played by Chris Kattan and a Midget Elvis played by Tony Cox. Oh yeah we even have an Elvis Elvis played by the Grade A actor Gary Oldman. I don't know why Mr Oldman would follow up his great performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with this copycat Elvis spoof. Helena Mattsson may have looked great in the black leather jumpsuit but her portrayal of a two gun toting Edgar Alan Poe quoting gunslinger for hire was also boring.
Christian Slater plays the lead character John Smith, and he is also another one of the Elvis impersonators who everyone is after because they assume he has the stolen Indian mask. Slater narrates scene after scene trying to slowly feed us tidbits of a baseless plot. Yes, there is lots of shooting, stabbing, tomahawk throwing, punching and kicking, all in an effort to just pad the movies length.
I should have known the movie would be below par when I read that Michael Winnick was the producer, writer and director for Guns Girls and Gambling. The only freeze frame title I was still looking forward to seeing after the first 30 minutes or so was "THE END". -
Weirdling_Wolf20 March 2022I can't telvis a lie, I was in suspicious minds before I watched the glib, Rodriguez-esque romp 'Guns Girls Gambling', but, happily, the amusingly circuitous events surrounding the theft of a valued Apache war mask by a comedy klatch of Elvis Personators made for a playfully convoluted, blood-spattered symphony of sublimely sequinned silliness! While Michael Winnick's kinetic 'Guns Girls Gambling' may not inspire a 'Burning Love' in all who see it, and it's frequently a little Apache in parts, but the enjoyably colourful, head-spinning narrative might well have you 'All shook up' by the delightfully dizzying, double-dealing conclusion! So, 'Don't Be Cruel', as, for me, anything starring Powers Boothe and B-Movie favourite Jeff Fahey is always worth a shot! While admittedly a long shot, what I initially thought to be little more than jumped-up juvenile jail house grot proved well worth the gamble, and 'Lawdy, Miss Clawdy!!!!', Helena Mattsson's deliciously double-barrelled 'The Blonde' made for one of the most sinfully sleek, pistol perky, Poe-prattling, bullet mean 'Hard Headed Woman' in recent B-Movie memory! 'Guns Girls Gambling' would make a fun, equally noisome pairing with Joe Carnahan's hyperbolic Hitman shoot 'em up 'Smokin' Aces'.
'The Hellfire hot Helena Mattsson's bootylicious cat-suited killer 'The Blonde' could catch me in her cross-hairs any day!' - Goosey Lucy@Buxom Bloodfiends.
'While 'Guns Girls Gambling' is frequently more funny talk than Tomahawk, it didn't smelvis quite as bad as I expected it to! - Tor Bronson @ The Heroic Bloodshed' -
midgetalan26 September 2012From the outset this movie tries (in vain) to be your pro to typical Tarantino/Rodriguez road/gangster/dark comedy movie. It fails terribly on almost every level. I originally watched this because of Gary Oldman, Jeff Fahey and the Elvis theme that was underpinning it.
Considering Fahey had nailed his performance in Machete around the same time...he totally locked-out on this dire role. Alas with Fahey, he's either brilliant or darn right awful. As with an earlier review, I too don't really see why Oldman went for this script. Christian Slater movies are globally accepted as trash these days so I did have that niggle in the back of head when picking it up...I wasn't let down LOL!! Had this movie been done by either Tarantino or Rodriguez then it would be another cult classic like Machete, but I defy anyone to say they would keep this well below par, poorly acted, body-less FAIL in their collection. -
iansebryk22 September 2012now this is the kind of movie that Christian Slater does best. perfect for the role and the film, he does not disappoint. :) all the characters are well rendered, the dialog is perfectly paced and the end result: a completely satisfying film that i'll see a few more times yet.
there are so many fun twists it'll keep you guessing if not WHO dunnit, HOW the heck they dunnit. do yourself a favour: watch this film.
i honestly couldn't find anything i didn't like about the film. the ladies are lovely, the baddies are the perfect kind of smarmy and it's just plain fun to watch. -
EvanKevelson20 August 2019In terms of so many comments about substance...Go to Sundance. Million Dollar Baby lots of depth..Female athletics, assisted suicide...very moving..but do I go to a movie for emotional heartbreak? I go to the movies to be entertained..or sharp good dialogue. A good movie entertains or is thought provoking. Emotional fulfillment is supposed to be in your life outside of a movie theater.
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leonblackwood1 February 2014Review: This movie is really bad. The storyline is terrible and the movie seemed cheap and rushed. What the hell was a star like Gary Oldman thinking! He's not in the same league as the Z class actors that were in this film. Anyway, although the leading lady was a looker and the opening credits were promising, the film goes downhill after the card game. It's one of those films that you have to piece together, but after a while your not really that bothered. The whole mask thing was interesting at the beginning but then the plot goes all over the place. A bad rental!
Round-Up: What is going on with Christian Slater? He just can't pick a decent movie. He was definitely in this film for the pay day. It also seemed like Gary Oldman was in it for a favour because I can't see him reading the script and wanting to be in it. As for the other characters, most of them are near the end of there careers so it's not a surprise that there in a straight to DVD movie.
I recommend this movie to people who are into there crime capers about a valuable mask getting stolen. 1/10 -
phubbs19 March 2014First thing that hit me here...this is a rip off of '3000 Miles to Graceland' surely, it even stars Christian Slater who does yet more Elvis mincing. On top of that guess what...its another crime heist, but this leans more towards the comedic side admittedly.
Ah Mr Tarantino you have a lot to answer for, so many films now use your jumbled up crime plot route its ridiculous, and here we go again. A group of Elvis impersonators are after a native Indian relic, so are some crooked cops, a cowboy hit-man, a female assassin and a crime kingpin called 'The Rancher'. They all think Slater has it but he doesn't, no one knows who has it and naturally they're all trying to kill each other left right n centre.
This film follows the trail of so many other heist films these days. It starts off randomly with sub plots and main plots that link into each other later. Characters are introduced like a video game with their names popping up on screen alongside hokey graphics which looks so tacky now. All the characters are clichéd unoriginal and mundane...'The Rancher' who looks like 'Boss Hog', 'The Cowboy' 'The Chief' 'The Indian' 'The Blonde' all speak for themselves really, oh geez!. Then of course you have the four Elvis impersonators, an Asian, a black midget, a homosexual and Gary Oldman who clearly can't do Elvis impressions.
The film pretty much consists of all these characters running around shooting at each other and beating up Slater. The comedy attempts to be quirky and witty with freeze frame moments, flashbacks, bits of dialog on screen and a lot of silly hammy action and one liners. I must admit some of the gun action is quite good, there is some blood and gore at times which does make the film feel better than it should...or more exciting anyway. Had this been a PG-13 it would have been pretty tiresome, just like the 'Red' franchise. Obviously they included a hot blonde female assassin in a figure hugging black catsuit to attract more viewers...OK OK it worked.
As with a lot of these straight to DVD crime heist flicks its an ensemble cast which is impressive, clearly everyone thought they might be in the next big crime comedy. Powers Boothe, Oldman, Jeff Fahey, Chris Kattan (where has he been?!), Tony Cox and Slater, OK so a few big names and a few B-movie stars. And if you haven't already guessed, as with many of these types of films, there are plenty of twists and turns as the ending looms. I would say its keeps you on your toes but you know damn well there will be twists, its so predictable, you know the main bad guys and the main good guys will have plot twists.
We've seen all this stuff before time and time again, Hollywood is running out of plot ideas quicker than you can say Hollywood is running out of plot ideas. The only thing here which is remotely interesting are the Elvis impersonators, but even that has been done before in '3000 Miles to Graceland' and much better. There definitely needed to be more of Kattan as 'gay Elvis'.
4/10