This is a really dumb movie, one of those that wishes it was a comic book – it even has a flashback segment told as a moving comic book! – and which thinks it’s funny. It’s very obviously trying to be a Rodriguez-style action comedy, but it’s got nothing on him. Braugher is horribly miscast as is the ATF agent opposite Braugher – their accents are reversed, for one – and Billy Bob is playing the same villain he’s played in numerous “Keep gettin dem cheques” roles he’s taken on over the years. Meanwhile, Longoria is operating in a different film altogether, and why is Rappaport even in this? The leads are better suited to the movie, but lack the timing to make the comedy work – or it could be the direction… – as I chuckled once or twice.

Despite the spin of having a handicapped kid as the prize, everything unfolds like it should: the brothers have to go through a series of seemingly tougher villains, not all of them make it to the finale which is, surprise surprise, a climax featuring all the major players in the plot. Never seen that before.

This kind of film really makes you appreciate the feel Rodriguez has for this kind of material. Yeah, he’s not remotely on the same planet as Tarantino, but he would have made this film entertaining (as it’s supposed to be) and watching this movie next to one of his would be like a crash course in the editing of action comedies.

3/10

•  Directed by Barry Battles
• Produced by William O. Perkins III, Robert Teitel
• Written by Barry Battles, Griffin Hood
• Starring
  • Andre Braugher as Sheriff Henry Millard
  • Clayne Crawford as Brick Oodie
  • Daniel Cudmore as Lincoln Oodie
  • Travis Fimmel as McQueen Oodie
  • Eva Longoria as Celeste Martin
  • Paul Wesley as Anthony Reese, an ATF agent
  • Billy Bob Thornton as Carlos Lyman
• Music by Christopher Young, Kostas Christides
• Cinematography by Dave McFarland
• Edited by Sean Valla
• Production companies: LLeju Productions, State Street Productions
• Release date: August 29, 2012
• Country: United States