Review of Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball

Caution: This review contains several spoilers. - I watched this movie twice on DVD and enjoyed it better the second time. I don't know about the fake explosions being too fakey - but the movie really rocks. - I liked the dialogue, the characters, the story line, the photography and everything. - The story begins with a real mystery over why there is a big contract out on this unassuming, do-nothing FBI clerical analyst - and that mystery continues to hover over the events that follow. What's not to like in this movie ? ( I am shouting emphatically now ! ) You have got the 'Hannibal Lector' guy, the 'two - face' guy, the self-exploding flying midgets, the jazz playing black guy - FBI agent that seems to be unkillable, the assassin with the kiss of death and the beautiful body and it goes on and on. I wish they had used the ending that they show in the deleted scenes it is more poetic than the ending that they actually went with. - Tom Berenger was an excellent choice for the leading role - an older man - few of words - but having a lot of hidden wisdom and experience - - and, finally, revealing the 'Joker' in the deck !