SMOKIN’ ACES 2: ASSASSINS’ BALL

US, 2010, 86 minutes. Colour.
Tom Berenger, Clayne Crawford, Tommy Flanagan, Maury Sterling, Martha Higareder, Ernie Hudson, Michael Parks, Autumn Reeser, Vinnie Jones.
Directed by P.J. Pesce.

Smokin’ Aces 2 bears very little resemblance to the original Smokin’ Aces. However, it was executive produced by the director of the original film, Joe Carnahan. It was directed by P.J. Pesce, a director of many straight-to-video features.

The film focuses on the FBI, an intelligence agent, Walter Weed (played by a very dignified Tom Berenger) who seems to be the target of an assassination attempt. The film shows the young Agent Baker trying to get to what was behind this conspiracy and trying to protect Weed.

In the meantime, the film shows various assassins at work – rather brutal and ugly scenes which may put off and ordinary audience. There is a rather unrealistically absurd scene where a nun confronts a praying priest in the church and he attempts to seduce her. However, she is an assassin in nun’s guise and has a poison cover on her lips and kills the priest as she kisses him. There is also an objectionable psychopath, played by Tommy Flanagan (in a character from the original film) who makes masks of his victims. There is also a sadistic criminal called The Surgeon, played in his typical manner by Vinnie Jones. Finally there is a family of neo-Nazi hillbillies, led by Michael Parks, who go on killing sprees.

The bulk of the film shows the security arrangements for the intelligence agent, deep under Chicago in a bunker. It also shows the range of surveillance for the agent as well as the contacts with headquarters in Springfield, Illinois with the intelligence agents working their computer for data. In the meantime, the various assassins come to town, interact with each other, some being killed, some able to invade the bunker.

Audiences might be suspicious, and they are right. There is a twist at the end – although one has to do some hard thinking to work out what actually happened and why. However, there is a brief double twist at the end – and the vindication of the FBI.

The film is action entertainment – slickly done but with a high body count and some ugly sequences.

1. The popularity of this kind of straight-to-DVD, telemovie entertainment? The target audience? Male or female?

2. The Chicago settings, the FBI? The street, the bar? The bunker underneath the city? The equipment and the security? The musical score and its pacing and intensity?

3. The title – reference to the original? Lazlo Soot and his appearance? The FBI? The subtitle of The Assassins’ Ball?

4. The opening and the collage of information, the intelligence operations of the FBI? Determining that Walter Weed was a target for assassination? The time frame?

5. Walter Weed, the ordinary agent at the FBI, working at his desk for forty years? His bewilderment? The discussions with Agent Baker? In his wheelchair? His being taken to security, in the van, into the bar, in the lift, down into the bunker? His being interrogated by Agent Baker, his not having any information? The indication of a name – and his denying any knowledge of it? His patience, waiting for the deadline? On the bed?

6. Agent Baker, young, taking control of the situation? His squad, the briefing? Taking Weed? Into the bunker? His contact with Springfield, trying to get information?

7. The range of agents, the sniper observer? His being killed and his mask going onto Lazlo Soot? The behaviour in the bar? The proprietor of the bar, agent? His skills? The jazz and the combo? His customers?

8. The range of assassins: the alleged nun, stripping, killing the priest? Going to the bar, her encounter with Mc Teague? Her death? Mc Teague, shaving the man’s scalp, inserting the pins? His ability to torture and his explanation of how the brain works? Killing the man? Lazlo Soot, his making the mask, his victim, killing him? The family, neo-Nazi? Hillbillies? The behaviour of the thin son and his sister, the fat brother, the father in command? Their driving around?

9. The revelation that they were an assassin squad, in the pay of the American government, but secretly? Their assassinations – for example in Iraq, Abu Ghraib?

10. The various attempts to get into the bunker? Mc Teague and his coming down into the bunker? Soot and his impersonation and getting the agent to open the door, killing him? The family and the cannon? Shooting the police into the bar dressed as clowns? The girl, in the tunnels, her getting inside – shooting, being shot?

11. Baker’s bewilderment? Trying to deal with the situation, with his agents? Weed and the explosives and his hand on the button? His declarations? Going out to confront the assassins, killing them?

12. The revelation of who Weed was, the false intelligence, the creation of stories, his deciding to be patriotic, to expose the secret assassins and kill them? His card games, card tricks – and Baker remembering them? Seeing the ace of spades?

13. The FBI agent coming to examine the scene, discussions, asking if he had seen Walter Weed?

14. Weed, emerging from the rubble, getting into his car – and Baker suddenly appearing and shooting him?

15. The background of American action, government, secret agencies, assassins?