Do you want to see ‘Knockaround Guys’?

Knockaround Guys (2001)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 4.3/10
Reviews Counted: 99
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 79

Well-acted, but it's too derivative.

Average Rating: 4.3/10
Critic Reviews: 26
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 21

Well-acted, but it's too derivative.

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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 38,110

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Movie Info

A big score goes wrong in a big way for a bunch of aspiring gangsters in this crime comedy. Matty Demaret (Barry Pepper) is the son of a mid-level Brooklyn mob boss, Benny "Chains" Demaret (Dennis Hopper). When Matty was 12 years old, Benny and Uncle Teddy (John Malkovich) decided to see if Matty had what it took to be in the mob; they gave the boy a gun and ordered him to shoot a longtime enemy of the family. Matty lacked the nerve to do it, and ever since, Benny has been convinced his son is a

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Comedy

Directed By: Brian Koppelman , David Levien

Written By: Brian Koppelman, David Levien

In Theaters: Oct 11, 2002 Wide

On DVD: Feb 25, 2003

Box Office:$11.5M

New Line Cinema

This heist flick about young Brooklyn hoods is off the shelf after two years to capitalize on the popularity of Vin Diesel, Seth Green and Barry Pepper. It should have stayed there.

November 19, 2002 Comment

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

Perhaps if co-directors David Levien and Brian Koppelman had spent more time devising a coherent vision for the film, we would not have felt as knocked around after watching it.

October 19, 2002 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Melinda Ennis

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Top Critic

We know the plot's a little crazy, but it held my interest from start to finish.

October 14, 2002 Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

Will only satisfy those who can't tell the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly.

October 11, 2002 Full Review Source: Washington Post

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

Top Critic

A guilty pleasure.

October 11, 2002 Full Review Source: Toronto Star

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Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Top Critic

Lackluster.

October 11, 2002 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle

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Carla Meyer

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

No less stale than the many derivative crime thrillers that flood the direct-to-video market.

December 30, 2008 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com

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Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

What sounds like a formula for freakish violence and a torrent of incessant expletives is in fact a stylish mobster film that stands out due to some very inventive casting.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Eclipse Magazine

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Michelle Alexandria

Eclipse Magazine

Even the top ensemble case of Knockaround Guys, headed by the ever-remarkable John Malkovich and charismatic Vin Diesel, can't jump the brick wall that the script hits in the last 20 minutes.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile

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Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

Diesel is excellent as a compassionate pre-XXX tough guy (the film has been on the shelf for nearly two years).

August 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review

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Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Knockaround Guys just doesn't deserve to get made, either literally or figuratively, and isn't worth the time needed to discover that this particular up-and-comer is yesterday's news.

July 2, 2008 Full Review Source: IGN Movies

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Todd Gilchrist

IGN Movies

Borrowing heavily from leftfield genre spin-offs like True Romance, it's no wonder this misfire was on the shelves for so long.

December 30, 2006 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine

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Damon Wise

Empire Magazine

The dialogue is almost a bit too conscious of its own wittiness and street-tough colloquialisms.

February 1, 2004 Full Review Source: FilmStew.com

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Todd Gilchrist

FilmStew.com Source: FilmStew.com

Putting the faces of hot young stars on the same old parts doesn't make the movie any fresher.

September 6, 2003 Comment

Josh Bell

Las Vegas Weekly Source: Las Vegas Weekly

O roteiro � interessante, mas se perde no final, com o tiroteio obrigat�rio.

July 25, 2003 Comment

Pablo Villaca

Cinema em Cena

When the movie mixes the cornpone and the Cosa Nostra, it finds a nice rhythm.

June 26, 2003 Full Review | Comment

Nick Rogers

State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

Guns get drawn. Bullets fly. Blood spills. You've seen it all before.

May 20, 2003 Comment (1)

Susan Tavernetti

Palo Alto Weekly

Real gangsters often love gangster films, but it's a safe bet that Knockaround Guys won't be on their all-time hit list.

March 21, 2003 Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

It may not be instantly forgettable, but it comes close.

January 15, 2003 Full Review Source: Movie Eye

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Frank Ochieng

Movie Eye

It's mildly interesting to ponder the peculiar American style of justice that plays out here, but it's so muddled and derivative that few will bother thinking it all through.

December 30, 2002 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

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Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Knockaround Guys

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Everywhere they go, they're sure to be a hit.Good movie. It's no Goodfellas, but this watchable, well-crafted little mob story is easy to take, and goes a long way on its appealing cast and dark, profane sense of humor. Vin Diesel kicked ass, don't mess with him. Nice good story which entertained me late at night. The

October 31, 2009

Manu Gino

Super Reviewer

Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, John Malkovich, Dennis Hopper, Seth Green, Dov Tiefenbach The film follows four sons of well-known Brooklyn-based mobsters and their desperate fight to retrieve a bag of cash in a small Montana town ruled by a corrupt sheriff. As they unite to find the money, they come face-to-face with the

August 9, 2009