Battle of the flicks: 2 Guns vs. The Smurfs 2

2 Guns

This is a buddy-cop movie with a twist and that twist is that they aren’t really buddies. They’re both undercover agents going up against the Mexican drug cartel, but each thinks the other is a run-of-the-mill gangster.

While Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington have fantastic on-screen chemistry and really sell the wry humor in the script, this movie is quite violent, as its title implies.

SPOILER ALERT: There are more than two guns in this movie — in fact, there are many guns and they kill people and animals.

If you can handle the violence, you’ll most likely enjoy this movie.

Here’s what some other women thought:

Jocelyn Novachek of the Associated Press said, “For each amusing exchange, there’s a gratuitous scene that dampens the proceedings. One of the worst involves the torture of chickens.”

Stephanie Zacharek of the Village Voice said, “All you need for a movie are two guys and two guns. Unless that movie is 2 Guns, in which case you probably need a good deal more.”

Mary F. Poles of Time magazine said, “They’re cute together, these two big stars, but the film around them, a sort of Tarantino lite, is desperately empty.”

You can read my full review here.

The Smurfs 2

This is a movie for small kids, as the story doesn’t make a lot of sense for an adult. It’s fantastical but in a way that is too convenient to be a fully engaging.

Hank Azaria really stands out, however, as the evil Gargamel. This seasoned actor brings chutzpah and intensity to this classic comic-book villain in a way that few humans can do.

The saving grace of this movie is that it’s set in Paris and we did enjoy taking in the sights. Glee actress Jayma Mays interprets Audrey Hepburn as she struts on the Plaza Athénée with gleeful delight.

SheKnows smurfs with Glee actress Jayma Mays >>

Yes, your kids will enjoy Smurfs 2. You, probably not so much.

Here’s what some other gals thought:

Claudia Puig of USA Today said, “This insipid, and sometimes awkward, blend of animation, computer generation and live action wastes a ton of talent and lacks a true sense of whimsy.”

Kristin Tillotson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune said, “Will kids like The Smurfs 2 at least as much as the first one? Answer: Is a Smurf’s butt blue?” 

Cathy Jakicic of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said, “Anyone who has seen NPH host the Tonys or the Emmys may wonder if there is nothing the actor can’t do. Well, he can’t make his thankless role as straight man to tiny blue cartoons work.”

You can check out my full review here: