Smokin' Aces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Smokin' Aces | |
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| Directed by | Joe Carnahan |
| Produced by | Tim Bevan Joe Carnahan Liza Chasin Eric Fellner |
| Written by | Joe Carnahan |
| Starring | Ryan Reynolds Jeremy Piven Andy Garcia Alicia Keys Ray Liotta Common Ben Affleck |
| Music by | Clint Mansell |
| Cinematography | Mauro Fiore |
| Editing by | Robert Frazen |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) |  January 12, 2007 [1] January 26, 2007 |
| Running time | 108 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $17,000,000 |
| Gross revenue | $57,103,895 |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Smokin' Aces is a 2007 American crime film, written and directed by Joe Carnahan, set in Lake Tahoe, and primarily shot at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (renamed the "Nomad Casino" in the film). It marks Carnahan's third feature, following Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane and Narc. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Jeremy Piven as the leads, with Piven as a Las Vegas magician turned mafia informant and Reynolds as the FBI agent assigned to protect him. It is the feature film debut of both R&B/soul singer-pianist Alicia Keys and rapper Common. A straight-to-DVD prequel has been announced with Carnahan executive producing.
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[edit] Plot
The film involves an intricate plot to kill Las Vegas showman and mafia wannabe Buddy "Aces" Israel (Piven), in part because he is considered the FBI's key witness to bringing down some of the final vestiges of La Cosa Nostra in the U.S., and because he has effectively split the family of Don Primo Sparazza into two competing factions. With his health failing, Sparazza puts a $1 million bounty on Israel and included a demand for Israel's heart. Two of Sparazza's crew, Underboss Sidney Serna and Capo Victor Padich conspire to hire a cadre of assassins to take care of the Buddy Israel problem, collect on the $1 million bounty themselves, and make a play to take control of the family from the ailing Sparazza. Being the key to the Justice Department's case against La Cosa Nostra, the FBI is intent on keeping Israel alive.
[edit] Cast
- Ryan Reynolds – Richard Messner
- Ray Liotta – Donald Carruthers.
- Joseph Ruskin – Primo Sparazza.
- Jeremy Piven – Buddy "Aces" Israel.
- Jason Bateman - Rupert "Rip" Reed
- Ben Affleck – Jack Dupree.
- Peter Berg – "Pistol" Pete Deeks.
- Martin Henderson – Hollis Elmore
- Common – Sir Ivy
- Christopher Michael Holley – Beanie.
- Andy Garcia – Stanley Locke
- Mike Falkow – Freeman Heller
- Joe Drago – FBI Aid
- Jeff Habberstad – Top Coated Gunman
- Alicia Keys – Georgia Sykes
- Davenia McFadden – Loretta Wyman
- Taraji P. Henson – Sharice Watters.
- Nestor Carbonell – Pasquale Acosta "S.A. Gerald Diego"
- Chris Pine – Darwin Tremor.
- Kevin Durand – Jeeves Tremor.
- Maury Sterling – Lester Tremor.
- Tommy Flanagan - Lazlo Soot
- Joel Edgerton - Hugo.
- David Proval - Victor "Baby Buzz" Padiche
- Marianne Muellerleile - Margie Turlock
- Zach Cumer - Warren
- Vladimir Kulich - The Swede
- Scott Halberstadt - Pimply Casino Employee
- Wayne Newton - himself
[edit] Soundtrack
The original soundtrack release included the following track listing:
- "First Warning" - The Prodigy
- "Big White Cloud" - John Cale (U.S. release only)
- "Ace of Spades" - Motörhead
- "Down on the Street" - The Stooges
- "Play Your Cards Right" - Common
- "Trespassing" - Skull Snaps c&p Ten12 Records
- "Segura o Sambura" - Nilton Castro
- "Touch Me Again" - Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
- "Under the Street Lamp" - Joe Bataan
- "I Gotcha' Back" - GZA
- "I Love You" - A Band of Bees
- "Morte di un Soldato" - Ennio Morricone
- "Save Yourself" - The Make-Up
- "Like Light to the Flies" - Trivium
- "FBI" - Clint Mansell
- "Shell Shock" - Clint Mansell
A second album was released featuring the instrumental tracks from the movie. The songs were all composed by Clint Mansell.
- Surveillance (I-Spy And the FBI)
- Yo'te Queiro (Oh Ma Corazon)
- Smokin' Aces' - It's Buddy's World
- Three For the Roadkill
- Welcome To Tahoe!
- Shellshock (Another Day, Another Dollar!)
- Aftermath (Body Count)
- Dead Reckoning
[edit] Reception
According to Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed $14,638,755 on its opening weekend (2,218 theaters, averaging $6,599 per theater). The movie grossed a total of $35,662,731 at the domestic market, and $18,878,474 overseas (outside the U.S), making a total worldwide gross of $54,541,205. With a budget of approximately 17 million dollars, the movie is considered a financial success. The movie was not well received by critics, scoring only 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.
[edit] Prequel and sequel
On July 17, 2007, director Joe Carnahan announced via his website that a second Smokin' Aces film was in the works and production had just been given the greenlight by Universal Studios.[1] It will be called Smokin' Aces: Blowback.[2] It has been speculated that the prequel will prominently involve the Tremor Brothers, and Carnahan has himself mentioned the idea in interviews, but is yet to confirm.[3]
[edit] Alternate ending
An alternate ending can be seen on the DVD, called the "Cowboy Ending". The scene takes place directly after Locke informs Messner of the FBI's real intentions surrounding Sparazza and Israel, but rather than pulling the life support cords of Israel and Sparazza as he does in the real ending, he instead draws his weapon and empties his pistol into them.
[edit] In other media
- A Smokin' Aces comic book tie-in appears online and was published as a special booklet with certain copies of the Smokin' Aces DVD.
