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75The movie crosses two formulas -- Fish Out of Water and Coming of Age -- fairly effectively. Because it isn't wall-to-wall action but actually bothers to develop its characters and take an interest in them, it was not at first considered commercial by its distributor, New Line, and languished on the shelf for two years.
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50Not as bad a movie as it sounds, just mediocre.
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50Nothing you haven't already seen elsewhere, except for Vin Diesel looking even then like a box-office champ.
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50It has its moments of swaggering camaraderie, but more often just feels generic, derivative and done to death.
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50Likable performances are critically wounded by implausible scenarios and derivative-minded direction referencing everything from ''Reservoir Dogs'' to ''Fargo.''
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50A layabout movie -- not risibly bad, just relentlessly sub-par.
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50It has no twistiness or intrigue, and none of the juicy anthro-underworld detail that Koppelman and Levien brought to their screenplay for the tricky, enjoyable ''Rounders.''
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50Young male auds should warm to its cool criminal ethos, sharp dialogue, charismatic cast and wry humor.
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40This high-concept gangster picture tries unsuccessfully to duplicate Reservoir Dogs's(1992) hair-raising high-wire balance between dark comedy and violent crime thriller, undermining some entertaining performances and the script's small virtues in the process.
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40Despite flashes of originality, is a formulaic quagmire that traps bits and pieces from all these genres without really satisfying any of their true aims.
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40Knockaround Guys proceeds with a gravity that's constantly tripped up by its characters' stupidity.
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38There's nothing original about the father-son conflict that forms the core of the film, nor is there enough suspense and drama.
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38Any one episode of "The Sopranos" would send this ill-conceived folly to sleep with the fishes.
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38Malkovich acts as if he's doing Shakespeare, pontificating, enunciating and generally overreaching.
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33It all makes you realize the importance of the guy who should have played Malkovich's role -- Christopher Walken. He makes films like this bearable.
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30Koppelman and Lieven's toneless, generic direction style is slack, not slick, and they handle actors like livestock. Only John Malkovich, as Matty's psychotic uncle, retains his dignity.
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30Off the shelf after two years to capitalize on the popularity of Vin Diesel, Seth Green and Barry Pepper. It should have stayed there.
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30Certainly, Malkovich's portrayal of mob lieutenant Teddy Deserve (!) and his lacquered swagger represent the only thing here that you haven't seen a hundred times before.
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30Will satisfy only those who can't tell the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly.
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30Malkovich is severely miscast as a heartless and conniving thug admired by the hero (apparently Charles Grodin was busy), and Hopper, in a paper-thin role, barely registers.
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25The story is a string of sub-Scorsese clichés, and if engaging actors like Malkovich and Hopper seem to be sleepwalking through their roles, imagine how unwatchable Diesel manages to be.
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Lackluster mob picture.
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25Totally underwhelming.
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20When it comes to father, sons and mob life, stick to "The Godfather."
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10One of those strained caper movies that's hardly any fun to watch and begins to vaporize from your memory minutes after it ends.
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10The only drama is in waiting to hear how John Malkovich's reedy consigliere will pronounce his next line.