Review of Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball (2010) by Derek A — 27 Jan 2010

The original Smokin' Aces is a guilty pleasure of mine, so inevitably I was quickly drawn to its prequel: Assassins Ball. This film is a downgrade to the original in every way possible, but that should come as no surprise since it was a direct-to-DVD release.

Much like the first, this film centers around a massive contract being placed on an individual for unknown reasons, and the FBI's ill-fated attempt to protect him from the scores of assassins looking to collect a heavy bounty.

This time around, the character being protected is a mid level FBI analyst (played blandly by a visibly aging Tom Berenger)... a clear downgrade from Jeremy Piven's eccentric character in the original.

However, the return of Lazlo, the assassin who steals his victim's face, and the original reckless, redneck Tremor family were nice references to familiar story lines. And Vinnie Jones is a perfect addition to a clusterfuck of wicked assassins.

The film is fast-paced and chalked full of cheesy dialog and mindless action. Almost as quickly as it begins, the film explodes into a barrage of bloody mayhem with little explanation or character development before its surprisingly ingenious conclusion.

The final act might be the only aspect of the film that measures up to its predecessor, but that doesn't necessarily make Assassins Ball a failure. Despite its flaws, the film delivers colorful characters with plenty of gunfights and gore.

It serves to pay homage to the first without trying to make itself better. Fans of the first should be able to sit back and enjoy this bloody mess. "Gonna make this joke about you shooting your load and then me shooting you, but it wasn't as good as "dismissed.

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