Customer Reviews

Mean Guns

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've now seen the film Mean Guns twice and I have even purchased the DVD (albeit off of a bargain rack). This isn't a great film, it isn't even really a good film, but it can be entertaining if you like violence and mambo.

The story behind the movie is weak at best and the cast (consisting mostly of Ice-T and Christopher Lambert) really doesn't do much to improve the film. There are some interesting action moments, all to the beat of Mambo music.

If you can find it for a cheap price I'd suggest it, but I wouldn't pay any more than a couple of bucks for this film. Of course if you're a diehard Christopher Lambert fan or if you really love Mambo and Violence, this might be something you want to invest in.

Despite an obviously limited budget (no building-busting explosions, cars plunging off freeways, or helicopters flying through train-tunnels) and some lack of realism (not as bad as most action movies, but noticable), this movie is a screen gem. Imagine a modern day version of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" with individuals and teams chasing after a cash prize of millions; only this time it's hidden inside a prison complex instead of underneath a pair of palm trees and the losers end up pushing up daisies. When the chase begins you'll find yourself picking favorites and rooting for them to win. The movie also borrows tastefully from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "The Wild Bunch", with it's many showdowns and shootouts. The main characters are surprisingly well written and acted out (especially Marcus and Lou)in such a way so that you get a very good look into the personalities of each one without seeing a great deal of personal history on screen. And, of course, if you do watch it and wind up agreeing with none of this, the least you'll have to admit is that the musical score rocks! The mambo music playing over the prison PA system was a wonderfully original touch. Check this movie out. The violence may not make it everyone's cup of tea (I personally loved it, fast paced and gritty yet not bloody), but it has more than enough pluses to make up for it.

A group of thugs who betrayed a syndicate are put in a new prison with weapons and 10 million cash promised to the last 3 survivors. It centers on the various groups that form and partialy on various moral conflicts. It's obviously low budget direct to video, but the action is entertaining and big action fans will see a few scenes intentionally taken from other movies (One scene has the table-roll-to-gunpoint from Hard-Boiled). The characters are certainly entertaining, and have more then one dimension to them. My favorite was Christoper Lambert, who insisted to Moon (the organizer) he be allowed entrance. Marcus was good and that actor had the best performance. The only bad thing about this was it's length: it was to short. That might sound weird, but it seemed like some explanations had to be cut short for length purpouses or budget constraints and I was confused at some points due to it. I'd like to see this remade big budget with Chow Yun-Fat, as Lou, and John Woo directing. Maybe Samuel Jackson as Moon.. And perhaps Sam Orbach (though he'd need to lose weight) as Marcus. That would be great.

I don't know what any of these pretentious jerks are talking about. This wasn't meant to be a "great movie". It didn't set out to move you, or give you deeper insight into yourself or the world at large. This movie's purpose isn't to inspire, or to give a greater depth of understanding to the human condition... and if you watched it hoping for any of that hippie crap you are stupid.

This is an action movie. There is gratuitous violence, killing, and foul language. Of the Three things that can make a pulp movie good (Karate, Explosions, or Midieval Stuff) this movie scores a 2/3. Thats pretty good. I might be stretching it with the explosions bit, but when there is THIS much gun-fighting, I count it anyway.

There is tons of great action, even more great one liners. Christopher Lambert plays his role brilliantly, when you consider what he is supposed to be playing, and even Ice T does a good job.

If you don't like this movie, its because you are a snob, and you are expecting too much from a movie that is CLEARLY meant to entertain. If you liked this movie, it means you know what an Action movie is supposed to be about, and you are probably Hardcore as well.

I'm amazed.After viewing the abomination that was "Adrenalin:Fear The Rush",I didn't think that Mr.Albert Pyun would make a decent movie.But finallly,he made a REAL movie! He realized what was wrong with the movies he had made earlier, took their problems and improved them by a zillion! The acting is superb.Ice-T is absolutely devilish at the role of Vincent Moon and Christopher Lambert's performance as Lou is incredible.The story is terrific.100 assassins battle in a vacant building in order to win $10,000,000.They go through hell trying to win and in the end the rusult is a HUGE death toll. The action scenes are VERY intense and realistic. You'll be biting your nails the whole time.The plot has loads of clever and imaginative twists. The photography was brilliant.It gave the film a very realistic and "dramatic" feel and the suspense was even tighter.Overall,Mean Guns is a brilliant film that deserves much more credit than it's received.Pyun finaly made a decent flick.Excellent acting,intense action sequences, brilliant plot and story and suspense galore made this one hell of a movie.This is Pyun's only good movie....The only thing unsatisfactory about MG is the ending,and that's too bad because the rest of the movie is a masterpiece.

Rated R for intense and very realistic action violence and profanity galore.

A must for Lambert fans! 2 hours of nonstop mindless gratuitous mayhem. Plot? Yeah, sure. Let me know if you find one. Viscious and satisfyingly brutal with a kick ass sound track. Have 3 negatives: 1) the quality of the dvd is mediocre at best, almost looks like it was copied from a videotape. 2.) really hot women but no nudity (damn), 3) all copies are Full Screen, I haven't been able to find a Wide Screen version. I have a vhs copy that I'm saving because it is much better in terms of picture quality.

I really didnt want to comment on this film, especially since my kind have been called out earlier in these other reviews. Lambert fan. Check. B-Movie fan. Check. Mambo fan. Check.

So let me address some of the important issues first. I am so sorry its a violent film with no deep human meaning or understanding. And if that was your complaint then you better not own a copy of Hostel or any other Torture film.

Second, there isnt suppose to be an action hero in the film. If you want a meaning to the movie it is simple. Crime does not pay. In a world of crime and lawlessness eventually even your fellow criminals turn on you.

Why does Lou have his daughter at the prison? Did you watch the film. Lou is either a complete Nut Job or vengeance seeker. From the red flashbacks he either killed a child, kidnapped his own daughter and murdered her mother/father. Or he his doing what he says he is doing, trying to make good for him and his daughter.

Vampires? Vampires? you mean the guy with the fangs at the gate? Or the demon winged guy Lou sees on the building? The first guy is a bodyguard of Moon's who for some reason has custom made teeth in the shape of fangs. So what. He isnt a vampire, never even crossed my mind that way. He just fits in as a poser gang style thug. Very cyberpunkish. The "demonic image" on the roof is a hallauciantion of Lou's, similar to the boy in the hallway.

The movis is simply 90 minutes of action, set with decent music and fun editing. The characters are largely stereotypes, but no more then Spider-Man, Captain Jack Sparrow or Shreck. So relax, pop some pop corn, turn off your brain and enjoy it for what it is.

Or you can go rent Matilda.

"Mean Guns" is exactly what it promises to be: a violent gunfight fest with very little interference of a presumed plot. There are gunfights and comic relief aplenty and the action moves fast enough to keep you interested. The reviews are correct - if you are looking for an art film with clearly developed characters, this film is not for you. However, if you want a violent (albeit amazingly bloodless) shoot em up with some comic moments, this film succeeds. Put it in the same category as "The Replacement Killers" - no thinking required.

Albert Pyun is the B-Director equivalent of John Woo. He gets to work with second class movie stars, but knows how to do action movies and choreography violence.

If you prefer your exotic food as hamburgers and french fries, your women blonde, busty and kick butt. Then this is the movie for you. Lots of action, very little storyline and logic.

Cool badguys and one-liners. Shootouts galore. Oscar worthy? No. Depth? Like a 3 foot kiddie pool. Fun? Definately.

This movie has people who are inside a prison. They have to kill as many people other people as they can only three can survive in this movie they decided to let only one survive. The winner takes home $10 million. Christopher Lambert character (Luu) "sorry if I spelled it wrong", is a psycho who has fun killing in this movie, he has a little girl who waits in the car during the whole scene. This movie plays alot of mambo music.