Smokin' Aces is an orgy of violence. Don't get me wrong -- I love a good orgy as much as anybody -- but this one just doesn't do it for me.
The plot -- as far as I could tell -- involves a Vegas mobster and a multitude of people trying to take him down before he turns state's evidence and snitches on his bosses. The story proves difficult to follow at times because it features a huge cast of characters who spend most of the time shooting at each other.
That all might be interesting if it hadn't been done before by a ton of films, from Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to the Paul Walker movie Running Scared. (And you know your movie's in trouble when it's accused of copying a Paul Walker flick that nobody saw.)
The cast includes Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys and many, many others. Piven is enjoyable, though he essentially plays a strung-out version of his Entourage character, which I've always assumed is just an exaggerated version of Jeremy Piven.
Smokin' Aces is directed by Joe Carnahan, who made a gem of a film four years ago called Narc. But he's just trying waaaaay too hard this time around, throwing in every stylized action sequence he can concoct. And while some of the scenes are really cool, the relentless assault eventually leads to overkill.
ReelzChannel Rating: 
What's on the disc:
Two commentaries tracks. The first features Joe Carnahan and Editor Robert Frazen; the second features Carnahan, Common, Christopher Holley and Zach Cumer.
Deleted and Extended Scenes -- Four in all.
Outtakes -- Watch the castmembers flub their lines.
Alternate "Cowboy" Ending -- Don't get your hopes up. It's only a minute long.
The Line Up -- Members of the cast discuss characters they play.
The Big Gun -- An interview with Joe Carnahan.
Shoot 'Em Up: Stunts and Effects -- A look behind the scenes.