Product Description

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 04/20/2004 Run time: 103 minutes Rating: R

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10827 in DVD
• Brand: Lions Gate
• Released on: 2001-08-14
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Amazon.com
Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken--that most reliable of indie-film actors--as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster--even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kings turns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

An Overall Excellent Film
Looking for a mob movie that doesn't star Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino? Neither am I, but, hey, sometimes you need a little variety in your repetoir, right? Suicide Kings is, in my opinion, this variety. Starring Christopher Walken and backed-up by Dennis Leary and a cast of up-and-comers, Suicide Kings succeeds remarkably at creating a dark and twisted tail of revenge, betrayal and getting in over your head.

Walken plays Carlo Bartolucci (also known in the movie as Charlie Barret), a mob boss recently returned from prison and having a night out on the town. During this he is joined by a group of college-aged kids also seemingly celebrating. As the night continues, these youngsters kidnap him.

After a few turns the kids motives are revealed: They're going to use Charlie's ransom money to pay off ANOTHER ransom, that of one of the kidnapper's girlfriends. What follows is a beautifully political example of Stockholm's Psychology as Walken's mob boss systematically turns each of the conspirator's against the other, all the while contacting his right-hand man, played by the fabulously energetic Dennis Leary.

Though this picture has many strong points, including a great plot, excellent scripting and superb acting, it has a few flaws that warrant a four-star rating rather than a five-star, in my opinion. First is the pacing. At times, the movie drags in places where it seems as if the writer wasn't sure what to do next. Though it swiftly recovers from these moments, they still occur enough to bring an impatient sigh or two.

Some of the cinematography is lacking as well, speaking characters are slightly blocked or transitions a bit questionable. There isn't any shaking camera or bad panning, just a few places where I think it could have been done better. In the end, though, the effect is negligible and barely detracts from the movie as a whole.

All in all, this is an excellent film. Walken and Leary are on target as always, and the plot has just enough turns to keep it interesting without being confusing. The best thing about the picture is probably the script, though. Some of the quotes are just brilliant. I heartily recommend this film to mob-movie afficionados and psych-thriller junkies alike.

One of the Most Interesting Films in a While
While this film did not get much attention elsewhere, it certainly has mine. Suicide Kings is a movie about a group of spoiled rich kids in a tight bind with some criminals. To help gain some leverage in the ordeal, one of them has the bright idea to kidnap a NY mob boss (Walken). A guessing game of who betrayed who ensues and it will keep you wondering. This movie is hilarious, smart and interesting. It's full of great acting, funny dialogue, and interesting plot twists. Christopher Walken, in my opinion one of the greatest movie bad guys, shows his range in an outstanding performance. He's funny, dramatic and intense, all while being taped to a chair for most of the movie. Other notable performances are Dennis Leary, who plays Walken's right hand man in classic Leary style, and Jay Moore as the hard nosed, stubborn leader of the preps. The film has a very independent feel to it and is gritty at some points. While feeling this way, however, it does not feel un-professional ever. Basically, if you want a funny film with great performances from great actors, a good plot (which is often scarce nowadays), and a cheap price ...!!!, you have no excuse not to buy Suicide Kings.

A surprise hit!
I picked up this DVD on a whim, not having seen nor heard any information on the title. I relied on the strength of the cast to not let me down. I was glad I followed my hunch. This is without a doubt one of the best dark comedies I have ever seen. The cast works together well, and the script is well written. Sure, parts are a little predictable, but there are still sufficient twists and turns to keep you interested until the film's conclusion. The DVD is packed full of extras too that make it a worthwhile purchase.