Customer Reviews

Gunmen

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It is a shame Gunmen didn't get fair treatment when it was brought to DVD. Originally shot in 2.35:1 widescreen, the DVD and obviously, the video are only available in 1.33:1 full TV screen format. Almost half the picture is missing, and it shows. Even ignoring the lush scenery cut off, too often the characters' faces are missing from the frame. Even worse is that the DVD transfer is rotten. It may have been from a S-VHS master from what it looks like. It is full of film grain which compresses awfully on DVDs, making the entire movie look muddy.

This is a terrible shame because Gunmen is a fun, lightweight flick of two guys, one good, the other bad, forced to work together against a common enemy. There are many funny one liners, and the action scenes are pretty good, though low budget. Denis Leary is always fun to watch when he's angry or evil, and he's almost always both in Gunmen.

This film was shot full anamorphic 2.35:1 Panavision and is full of gorgeous and pretty scenery. But just like they did with another Christopher Lambert film, Fortress and the Dolph Lundgren movie Joshua Tree they have released this in mutilated pan and scan format with about half the picture missing.

Gunmen is a lively and entertaining movie with a witty script, nonstop action and a first rate cast. Denis Leary once again nails the bad guy role to a tee and Lambert and Peebles (who starred together in Highlander 3) make for a great buddy team.

But I cannot recommend this movie to you on DVD. I waited so long for this to be released only to be dissapointed by the lack of OAR. Even the cover art is horrid. I mean I don't remember any volcanos in the film.

Stay away from this DVD. Stick with your VHS. It is of the same quality.

Gunmen is one of my favorite action movies, it's got great scenery, action galore, a fast pace, and great performances, especially from Denis Leary, who steals the show as villain Armor. However this DVD really hurts the film. It's presented in pan-and-scan with poor quality and so-so sound, and has no extras. Artisan ruined another great movie called Joshua Tree (or Army Of One, as the DVD cover for that movie incorrectly states) with the DVD, which featured a similar DVD transfer (very poor). I'd wait for a re-release with a better transfer and sound and with the film in it's OAR plus with some extras, like a commentary and making-of featurette...

I have always found GUNMEN to be a fun movie, and I am a fan of both Christopher Lambert and Dennis Leary, so I was very happy to see this DVD finally became available. Unfortunately, the DVD does the movie no justice. The picture and audio quality are just slightly better than the copy I made on VHS from cable ten years ago. The so-called extras are a waste, amounting to two very limited actor bios, and a one paragraph plot summary.

The movie itself is enjoyable in a B-movie buddy picture kind of way. It involves a dim-witted criminal(Christopher Lambert)and a former NY police officer(Mario Van Peeples) who are forced to work together to try to find a fortune in abandoned drug money before a cold blooded mercenary gang(led by Dennis Leary) or a local crime lord(Star Treks Patrick Stewart) can get to it.

It's probably worth it to pick up the DVD just to have a copy of the film in a format other than the rapidly vanishing VHS.

I give the film ***, I give the DVD *

Real nice B-grader, Lambert has a real flair for the comedy, if only the people behind the camera could make up their mind whether it's a action comedy, or action thriller.
Because it's certainly not the latter, but the laughs dry up a bit after the hilarious first half hour.
Leary always entertains as the bad guy as well.

Starting with the packaging, the outer artwork looks like low-quality inkjet output, streaks and all. The physical disc is labeled "Compact Disc" with CineVu's label overprinted as "DVD Video".

Cheap and cheesy, and I could accept that...IF the disc had actually contained a widescreen, Dolby 5.1 presentation of GUNMEN as advertised. IT DID NOT. Instead, the disc contained a program titled "Amalia Rodrigues 50th Anniversary Concert - Live in New York".

I adore GUNMEN, I've long awaited a widescreen DVD. I can't express the depth of my disappointment with CineVu, or with Amazon for selling this dreck. I'm sending the disc back post haste. Buyer beware.

With its mixture of broad humour, violent action and buddy-buddy storyline, "Gunmen" appears to be a film nostalgic for the eighties genre which produced the likes of "Lethal Weapon" and "48 Hrs". It is no match for either, however. The performances are all mostly second-base. The dialogue is strictly B-movie quality. It will afford plenty of entertainment to undemanding audiences. Includes some beutiful vistas of Latin American locations and some genuinely unlikeable villains, as portrayed by Denis Leary and Patrick Stewart.

This is one of the funnest movies I've ever seen. Anytime I meet someone who hasn't seen 'Gunmen' I don't care who they are, I see to it they watch this movie... I've never had a dissapointed fan. The movie is fast paced slowing only to give you enough time to rememeber there realy is a good plot here too otherwise the movie is a rollercoster of fun, the actors mesh well from scenes with Chris and Mario to Mario and Denis to Denis and Chris and on and on. It's hard to see Patrick Steward as the bad guy at first, but you get over it quick. It has my favorite running gag in an action movie - The First Aid Kit! (I'll let you watch it.) A must have for any Lambert Fan, Action Fan, Leary Fan or Self-Proclaimed 'Movie Buf'

When I went to see Gunmen at the theater I was only a boy who enjoyed silly little romps,apparently I wasn't the only one because the other people at the theater cheered as they saw the action unfolding.Lambert and Van Peebles make a nice buddy team and Dennis Leary and Patrick Stewart are great as the bad guys,the sense of humour by the writer of the mummy isn't quite developed but still it's like a lesser(in action)Mean Guns

This movie is really pretty lame. It's a typical action movie with typical characters. I enjoyed it just because I like Christopher Lambert, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. Otherwise, I wouldn't have liked it. But it does make for decent entertainment if you're into this type of movie.