Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball

The phrase "direct-to-DVD" is often synonymous with "shouldn't have been made". Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball is a perfect example of this. The plot concerns Walter Weed (Tom Berenger), an FBI analyst who has had a hit called on him and goes into lockdown in an underground bunker as an assortment of assassins vies for his life. The first Smokin' Aces wasn't the greatest of movies, so it's no surprise that Assassins' Ball is nearly unwatchable. The plot is convoluted and confusing. The characters are so underdeveloped that it feels like the script was written by somebody banging two action figures together. Worst of all, the action, something the first instalment got right, is marred by non-stop camera tricks and it's all concentrated in the last half of the movie, making the first half irritatingly dull.

Special features offer no hope of redemption either. The deleted scenes are mere embellishments on the originals. The gag reel is a joyless affair. The interview with the director is peppered with footage from the first movie, highlighting just how bad the sequel is. Finally, there are three short documentaries about woefully esoteric aspects of the movie – the guns used, the design of the bunker set, and a stunt involving a clown.

Smokin' Aces 2 is by no means a proud moment in cinema history. If you really must pick it up, make sure you aren't going to give it to a loved one, unless you want to lose that friendship forever. You have been warned.

Extras Deleted scenes, gag reel, featurettes and more

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