SMOKIN’ ACES 2: Assassins’ Ball Unrated Edition

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Year: 2010

Rated: Unrated (Rated version R)

Film Length: 1 hour, 26 minutes (rated), 1 hour, 28 minutes (unrated)

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

Release Date: January 19, 2010
 

The Movie

Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball, aka Smokin Aces: Blowback, is the direct to video prequel to the uber-violent 2006 film directed by Joe Carnahan (Narc). A contract hit has been ordered on FBI analyst Walter Weed (Tom Berenger). Electronic surveillance reveals the existence of this contract early enough for Weed’s friends in the Bureau to whisk him away to an underground bunker in the middle of Chicago. The agents know that the hit must occur at a precise time on a certain date, so they prepare for a siege as the clock counts down.
 

Fans of the original film will remember that the title is a play on words regarding the contract hit on Buddy "Aces" Israel, played by Jeremy Piven. Buddy Israel is nowhere in sight in this film, although his name comes up briefly in the story. Otherwise, the only link to the original film is the gratuitous violence and dark humor as various hitmen compete to take out the same target.  Playing card symbolism also figures prominently in the story so that the "Aces" referred to in the title is not completely irrelevant.
 

Tommy Flanagan reprises his role from the first film as master of disguise Lazlo Soot and Maury Sterling returns as Lestor Tremor, with several other members of the Tremor family in tow. Christopher Michael Holley also appears here in a different role from his role in the first film. The rest of the cast, including Berenger, are new to this series. Journeyman character actor Michael Parks (Death Proof) is cast here as the patriarch of the Tremor clan, Fritz Tremor. Vinnie Jones is also a welcome addition as hitman Finbar McTeague.
 

Joe Carnahan is the executive producer of this film and collaborated on the screenplay. His directorial duties have been handed to P.J. Pesce, whose previous credits include From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter and Lost Boys: The Tribe. Carnahan and Pesce have succeeded here in capturing some of the dark humor of the original film but have failed to create a sequel to come close to the quality of the original. There are some great moments in this film, but they are few and far between.
 

Video

Both the theatrical version and the extended, unrated version of the film appear in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The unrated version is 2 minutes longer and contains some extra blood and gore. The overall transfer quality is excellent, with few of the compression artifacts that are typically prevalent when 2 versions of a film are crammed onto one disc. There is some minor haloing in a few scenes but this is so minimal as to be nonexistent. Colors are deliberately muted as an artistic decision.
 

Audio

The English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is the default audio. The audio makes full use of all speakers for ambient noise, gunfire, explosions, and the like. The mix is well produced since dialogue is always appropriately audible over the special effects. The audio may not be reference quality but you may see this film used as an audio demo the next time you are shopping in your local brick and mortar store.
 

Special Features
 

A wealth of special features are present on this disc and include all of the following:

Commentary: Feature length commentary provided by executive producer Joe Carnahan and director P.J. Pesce.

Deleted Scenes (10:01): Scenes cut or edited down from the film are shown here.

Gag Reel (6:32): Line flubs and cursing from the actors.

Behind The Scenes With Joe Carnahan (6:31): Joe Carnahan talks about his involvement in this sequel.

Confessions of an Assassin (25:59): This is a behind the scenes documentary with interviews of cast and crew.

Ready, Aim, Fire: The Weapons of Smokin’ Aces 2 (4:18): Armourer Rob Fourmier displays some of the prominent firearms used in the film.

Cue The Clown (2:59): Brief behind the scenes featurette regarding the soon to be infamous clown scenes.

The Bunker Mentality: Designing the Set (3:37): Short featurette on designing the very cool bunker set.

Also included are the following trailers which play by default at the beginning of the disc: American Pie, Blu-Ray , A Serious Man, Vampire’s Assistant, Couples Retreat, and Love Happens.
 

Conclusion
 

Like many sequels, Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball contains less of the magic that made the first film so special, in spite of the involvement here of Joe Carnahan, who wrote and directed the original film. Still, the dark comic tone and over-the-top violence of the original are present in spades in this sequel, so if those aspects of the first film were significant to you, you may find much to enjoy here. Less than ardent fans of the original film may be unimpressed by this entry in the series. This sequel contains all of the violence but only half of the wit of the original film. Smokin Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball is recommended for hardcore fans of the original, but the extreme violence may be too much for the rest.