Suicide Kings (1997)

Perhaps if this movie had been better structured I might for one minute have bought its premise, but as it was I found the whole thing laughable. I couldn't imagine how any of the characters would have come up with their idiotic plan, since it made no sense. And since the characters are poorly introduced and inadequately developed, I didn't understand any of their motivations for going along with it. I've never been a fan of Quentin Tarantino, but this film made me admit that he at least has a sense of pacing and timing. "Suicide Kings" injects bits of Tarantinoesque humor in the most inappropriate places, and goes off into meaningless tangents that never add anything to the storyline. It also tried to make suspenseful moments out of nothing, merely by throwing in some anxious music. Some of the acting is okay, e.g., Denis Leary's performance as a Mafia thug, but mostly the actors are powerless to make anything out of the foolish script. Christopher Walken is the most grounded person in the movie--and that's a scary thought.

Fmovies: When the sister of one young man is kidnapped while she is out on a date with another young man, the group of friends kidnap an ex-mobster to make use of his contacts and his money to help get her back in one piece. However the longer they keep Bartolucci the closer his right hand man Veccio gets to finding them and the more the friends realise that the kidnapping plot may be more complex than first thought.

Attracted to this film by the presence of Walken playing the role he does best – some sort of mobster – I wasn't really sure what to expect. The overly stylised opening credits and the initially confusing mix of flashbacks within flashbacks to set the story were quite distracting however soon settled down into a more straightforward plot. This plot holds the interest due to the confined situation in which most of the action occurs and is quite involving. The first few twists are well handled but it starts to put the film into a spin from which it doesn't recover, as more twists mount up and become increasingly alienating and contrived. At the end I didn't feel any involvement or surprise by the twists whereas I had sat up and paid attention to the first few.

The film is quite comic at places and this makes it feel like a more enjoyable piece than it would have if it had just been played straight. However this comic touch doesn't take away from the fact that the film is really a thriller of sorts. The cast is roundly good, without anyone of the main group really stealing the show. Walken does his role in his sleep but is still effective – his transformation as he gains confidence during the film is well put across. The young group of actors playing the friends are all pretty good although the `where have I seen him before factor' was a little distracting (6 Feet Under, Roseanne etc). However it is the (wisely expanded) character played by Leary that really is the one that I kept looking forward to seeing. His character almost feels like he is in a movie of his own which is a distraction, but means his scenes are all very enjoyable. His dialogue is knowingly cool and his character is comically overblown to good effect. The film truly benefits from having him in the role.

Overall this film wants to be cooler and better than it really is, the end result of which is a spiral of twists which become increasingly uncontrolled and uninvolving. It is enjoyable enough to watch and the use of one main set helps to add to the tension of the story, however once the twists come they don't stop which sadly leads to them becoming increasingly less effective. Worth a watch but subject to the law of diminishing returns in terms of plotting.

First, I like Mafia movies. Second, I like comedy. I find this movie to be more of the latter. And I enjoy it. I found Johnny Galecki to play the most interesting and funniest character in this movie. It's a good movie overall, enjoyable, and yes, I do own it. In my massive collection of 10 DVD's, this is one of them. I'm no film buff, but it has its good parts and it has its bad parts. I won't over-analyze it, but I liked the plot twists... all of them.. didn't like the overuse of profanity... loved the comedy parts. It has some awkward dialog and what sounds like dubbing, but it is entertaining, and I watch it on a regular basis. Give it a shot! I rated it 7 / 10

Suicide Kings fmovies. This movie exemplifies the praise a movie gets by virtue of the plethora of outstanding acting talent it possesses!! Christopher Walken could have coasted on his credentials in the elitist Hollywood venue after his performance in "Deer Hunter" but, he decided not do that!! He combines psychotic reasoning with deliberate hostility, you the movie viewer may take your pick as to what you prefer!! Either way, he is sensational in every movie he stars in !!! Denis Leary (The former Cop) always seems to make his point very clearly with a gun and/or a lethal object!! Jay Mohr has a flippant demeanor towards his roles no matter how serious these roles are!! This acting mode of his makes him very effective!! He is wonderful at engaging in degrading condescension and intellectual obviation of anyone he perceives as his adversary!!!Anything that has to be accomplished in a role, Jay Mohr seems to carry it off and flawlessly!! The list of all other actors in this movie merely epitomizes the superb acting talent in "Suicide Kings"..Very few films exude such acting ability!!

The movie starts out with an amateurishly orchestrated kidnapping attempt which is used as a defense strategy to abort another kidnapping!! It is a proverbial case of the adolescent's version of an eye for an eye!! This convoluted logic serves as a dementedly lingering discontentment for a bunch of educated pipsqueaks!! The bottom line on this whole charade is that there is little or no organization for the expedition of this particular kidnapping!! Mutilation of Christopher Walken's finger serve as a cry for attention!! It really does not work, of course, this is the movies, not real life!! The intensity of emotions in this film makes everything cohesive in terms of what depraved mixes of irrationality prevail in these affluent derelict's lives!!

I thought the acting was fantastic in this film, and it was a simple plot outline of age and experience winning out over precocious recreation with criminal chicanery!! Everything was an argument..there were more issues out there besides a kidnapping!!! Criminal doubts and insecurities are always depicted in movies like these, just not so succinctly!! This movie illustrates how ideological disagreement with a prevailing situation does not sufficiently justify engaging in a felony!! I thought this film was excellent!!!

I was surprised with Suicide Kings. In the same spirit as Something Wild and The Usual Suspects, this movie is not about the end, but getting you there. The film is well told, keeping you on the edge wanting to know "who's on the inside". Unlike some movies where the wrap up at the end seems too improbable, this one works and works well.

I was unsure of what the movie would be like and so my expectations were low. At the end I had done an 180 degree turn. I was impressed. I look forward to watching this again and picking up on all the clues as to who was doing what and seeing the small details from the start.

I taped this movie on the USA Network at three o'clock in the morning, watched it some time afterward, and I was blown away by this film. Former gangster Carlo Bartolucci aka Charlie Barrett (Christopher Walken in one of his best roles ever) attends a bistro where he finds that a group of swaggering young men, consisting of Max (Sean Patrick Flanery), Avery (Henry Thomas), Brett (Jay Mohr), T.K. (Jeremy Sisto), and Ira (Johnny Galecki), have taken over his usual booth. Charmed by the guys, Charlie takes them for a ride, only for them to knock him out with some chloroform while going down the Queens tunnel in a hilarious sequence. Charlie regains consciousness inside of Ira's mansion taped to a chair with one of his fingers missing, having been cut off to compensate for Avery's kidnapped sister's missing limb. The guys keep Charlie prisoner in the mansion, but soon, Charlie starts to play head games with them, and it soon becomes obvious that there is a traitor in their midst.

This darkly humorous crime thriller can be described in the most simple terms as "The Breakfast Club" meets "The Godfather" or something like that, even though I myself never saw "The Godfather." Walken is increasingly laughter-provoking, suave, and creepy all at the same time as he delivers witticism after witticism despite his usual situation. Four of the lead males (Henry Thomas, Jay Mohr, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Jeremy Sisto) all portray swaggering rich boys, while Johnny Galecki (David from TV's "Roseanne") is screamingly funny as the nitpicking nerd of the bunch and Denis Leary is his usual laid-back self as slick and wisecracking gangster Lono (what a funny name!).

I said it once and I'll say it again -- "Suicide Kings" is a darkly comical film, but it is highly recommended (for those with kids) that you watch this either late at night or while the kids are away.

I give "Suicide Kings" a 10 out of 10 on a scale of 1-10 in my humble opinion.