When two undercover agents rob a bank, they find millions more than expected
In short: In the 2013 action comedy 2 Guns, a DEA agent and a US Navy SEAL team up to rob a drug lord. They expect a modest $3 million haul, but stumble upon a $43 million CIA slush fund instead. The discovery triggers a violent, cross-agency conspiracy that tests their unlikely partnership.
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, 2 Guns is a 2013 adaptation of a 2007 comic book series by Steven Grant and Mateus Santolouco. The film follows Bobby Trench, an undercover DEA agent, and Stig Stigman, an undercover Navy SEAL, who find themselves entangled in a web of betrayal. While attempting to prosecute a drug lord named Papi, the pair inadvertently steals $43 million from a bank in Tres Cruces, Texas—a sum far exceeding their original $3 million target.
The plot thickens when they discover the money belongs to the CIA, which uses the funds as a cut of drug profits from cartels smuggling goods across the border. As the protagonists navigate a dangerous landscape of double-crosses involving corrupt officers and intelligence agents, the film draws comparisons to the 1973 thriller Charley Varrick. Both narratives share a similar premise, including the specific setting of a bank robbery in Tres Cruces.
Critics offered mixed reactions to the film, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 64% approval rating and Metacritic assigning a score of 55 out of 100. While some reviewers, such as those at The A.V. Club and Rolling Stone, found the film formulaic or lacking in provocative depth, others praised the chemistry between leads Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. Despite the critical divide, the film was a commercial success, grossing $131.9 million worldwide against a $61 million budget.
The production itself was a significant economic event for the state of Louisiana, where much of the filming occurred. The production spent $57.5 million in the state, earning a $17.6 million subsidy through local film incentives. By the end of the story, the two leads survive their ordeal and resolve to continue dismantling the CIA's network of secret banks, leaving the audience with the suggestion that their mission has only just begun.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2 Guns
- Also: Wikidata — 2 Guns · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — 2 Guns · CC0
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