So much average

Just perfect...

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Did you like Guy Ritchie's fabulous, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"? Want to see it butchered by people that obviously have no idea what they're doing? I was alerted to this film by a few Kiwi friends (who else?). They obviously take a lot of pride in it. They were clearly not happy when I gave them my verdict. "Stickmen" is EXACTLY the kind of trash that should be avoided at all costs. All areas of it are derivative. The performances, the style, the "dialogue". Well, the attempts at all of the above anyway. All are forced, unfunny and lack any sense of narrative coherence. It "looks" nice (although that look itself is stolen from Richies film). But thats it. If my verdict was one of those amusing "smilies", it'd be the one with the eyes planted firmly upwards. As it happens, all I have are numbers. Thus:1/10.

Stickmen was an enjoyable film with a strong Kiwi flavour, some likable characters and plenty of laughs. The plot was well-paced with very few hiccups; the directing was slick, professional, and did justice to the film's comedic moments. Minor criticisms: some genre cliches, some awkward dialogue (particularly in the romantic scenes), occasionally uneven acting.Nothing too original or artistic here, but overall this was a fun underworld comedy caper. Recommended to fans of Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, and Mike Hodges (Croupier, Get Carter). Nice work. 8/10

Rather than the Lockstock comparisons (con-tricks in a seedy pub-world of nicknames and an eccentric Mr. Big villain), I was more worried about this film becoming a kiwi take on Doug Lihman's "Swingers" - this worry compounded by the match-cutting of a pool ball been potted and a couple reaching orgasm in the opening minutes of the film.The visual flashiness and misogynistic small-talk soon subsides and the film becomes a rather sweet sport-film (underdogs in the tournament of their lives, betrayal, self-doubt, physical incapacity before 'big game' etc.). The acting certainly helps, as does the novelty of each pool team representing a deliberately cartoonish tribal-stereotype (similar to the fun of the various 'gangs' in Walter Hill's "The Warriors").The makers show they are a clever bunch making a competent mass market film that veers the right side of indulging rather than insulting the viewer's intelligence. (I especially liked the underplayed fact that if the stickmen win the final it will give the pub-landlord money to do up their seedy watering-hole and turn it into the sort of flashy pub they hate!)60 out of 82.

I don't know where some of the folks leaving comments are coming from. Maybe I am not "high brow" enough, but I do know a funny and entertaining movie when I see one.I caught this movie on a flight from London to Chicago and got to watch it twice. The second time was even better as I managed to catch some nuances that I missed the first time around.I liked this movie so much that I am going to try and purchase the DVD. I get the feeling that this will be one of those few movies that I will never tire of watching and that every once in a while I will pop in the DVD player just to unwind and get reacquainted with an old friend (like Ferris Bueller's Day Off).Now I only hope that there is a sequel and that it is as good as the first one!