Matty (Barry Pepper) is the only son of Brooklyn mobster Benny "the Chains" (Dennis Hopper). Considered too sensitive for mob work, but unable to find a regular job, Matty finally gets a chance to join his dad's organization when he agrees to arrange transport of half a million dollars across the country. When it winds up lost in a small Montana town, Matty and his assortment of tough-guy pals (played by Andrew Davoli, Seth Green, and Vin Diesel) are forced to fly out there, tangle with the locals, and find the money before their disappointed elders come to get them, guns blazing.
KNOCKAROUND GUYS features stylishly washed-out, gritty cinematography and benefits from a refreshing lack of the expected "city folk stranded in a small town" gags. Instead it's a tale of identity crisis-plagued boys blasting their blood-soaked way into manhood, with the dependable Diesel easily stealing the prize with his turn as Matty's philosophic brawler pal. John Malkovich--sporting one of the weirdest Brooklyn accents in gangster film history--is also memorable as one of the older mobsters. It's the directorial debut for the screenwriting team of Brian Koppelman and Sid Levein, who before this penned the script for ROUNDERS.
(50 votes)
2.
A smart, powerful and at times humorous tale of four young men growing up in today's mob. Gotti's gone, the Feds are cracking down and there's no such thing as honor anymore. But for the somewhat pampered twenty-something sons of four well-known wiseguys, it goes deeper than that. When you wear an infamous last name, the legit business world isn’t an option either.
Enter Matty Demaret (Barry Pepper), the reluctant scion of established Brooklyn gangster Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper). When Matty was 13-years-old, he was told by his Uncle Teddy Deserve (John Malkovich) to shoot the snitch who sent his father to prison, but found himself unable to pull the trigger. Failing to pass that initiation into adulthood, he was from then on never seriously considered for a top spot in the family business.
The problem is Matty can't make it on the outside either. His dreams of being a sports agent dashed by his infamous last name, he now finds he has no choice but to work as a low-level flunky for his uncle and father. Though he has nice clothes, a good car and a secure "job," he lacks the one thing he craves - respect.
Matty shares a similar problem with his friends Taylor (Vin Diesel), a brawny, tough guy hampered in the family by his half-Jewish descent; Chris Scarpa (Andrew Davoli), a ladies man whose restaurateur father's business is on the downswing; and Johnny Marbles (Seth Green), a fast-talking pilot who also happens to be Chris' cousin.
As the four ruminate on their lives, Matty approaches his father for one last chance to prove himself. He enlists his friend Johnny Marbles to fly across the country to pick up a badly needed cash loan of half a million dollars. The exchange goes smoothly, but on the way back to New York the plan quickly goes awry. On a refueling stop in Wibaux, Montana, Marbles panics at the sight of the local sheriff (Tom Noonan), the bag of cash turns up missing and soon Matty, Taylor and Chris must head out West to set things right.
But when the black-suited Brooklyn boys arrive to take on the local Montana populace, they find everything they thought they knew about muscle, crime and influence doesn't work well in these parts. For the first time in their lives, Matty and his friends are truly on their own and must use their wits in order to survive. As they do, the family's real knockaround guys arrive, forcing Matty and his friends to finally confront the harsh realities of family life as they come face-to-face with the past.
(41 votes)
3.
An all-star cast enlivens this mobster movie. Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, Battlefield Earth) plays the central role of Matty, the son of a mob boss (Dennis Hopper, Blue Velvet, Speed) who's reluctant to give his son a shot at crime. Alas, when Matty and his posse of friends--tough guy Vin Diesel (Boiler Room, XXX), lover boy Andrew Davoli (The Sopranos), and screw-up Seth Green (the Austin Powers movies)--finally get an opportunity, they fumble the job, and a very important satchel of money ends up in a Montana town where the wily sheriff (Tom Noonan, Manhunter) decides he deserves a bonus for his years of public service. The posse's problems get worse when Matty's ruthless uncle (John Malkovich) comes to town to clean up the mess. Mechanical and unimaginative, but the capable performances keep it moving. --Bret Fetzer
(41 votes)
4.
"Knockaround Guys packs plenty of cold-blooded firepower!" -Larry Ratliff, St. Antonio Express-News
When you're in the mob, there's no room for mistakes or feelings. Matty (Barry Pepper) finds this out the hard way when his crew loses a bag of cash in a remote town in the Midwest while trying to live up to his mob boss father's aspirations (Dennis Hopper). When Matty's childhood friend Marbles (Seth Green) fails to retrieve the money, his best friend Taylor (Vin Diesel) hatches a plan to get it back, but crooked cops control the town and the situation quickly spirals out of control.
Uncle Teddy (John Malkovich) rolls into town to fix the situation and to teach Matty once and for all what being "in the family" is all about. The trap is set and when it's sprung, it's as action-packed as it is devastating.
(42 votes)
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