Knockaround Guys

Directed by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, Knockaround Guys follows four friends (Barry Pepper’s Matty, Vin Diesel’s Taylor, Seth Green’s Johnny, and Andrew Davoli’s Chris) as they find themselves in a whole mess of trouble after a bag full of money goes missing. Filmmaker Koppelman and Levien deliver a perpetually hit-and-miss endeavor that gets off to a less-than-promising start, as Knockaround Guys kicks off with an almost distractingly off-kilter opening half hour that boasts little in the way of wholeheartedly appealing elements – which is surprising, certainly, given that the presence of several inherently charismatic, dynamic performers within the movie’s cast. (Diesel’s electrifying work stands as a continuing highlight within the proceedings, to be sure, while periphery players like John Malkovich and Tom Noonan provide some much-needed color to the film’s margins.) And although the movie does improve slightly once the action shifts to a small Montana town, Knockaround Guys‘ almost distractingly familiar narrative paves the way for a midsection that suffers from a palpably (and lamentably) uninvolving feel – which, when coupled with a curiously underwhelming climactic standoff, cements the picture’s place as a woefully half-baked endeavor that generally feels like it should be much, much better.

** out of ****