Knockaround Guys

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

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

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.

The first-time directors previously penned the screenplay Rounders, and while their attention to setting and detail in both films is commendable, their development of character and storyline could stand some improvement.

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.

It might have been better served with only one director.

Even with Vin Diesel's help, Knockaround Guys got knocked around a few times too many.

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