A Vegas mob boss has taken out a hit on Buddy "Aces" Israel (Piven), a sleazy Vegas magician who's going to turn state's evidence. The FBI sees an opening to bring down the head mob guy and dispatches two agents (Liotta and Reynolds) to Buddy's hideout in Lake Tahoe to protect him. When the price on Aces' head reaches the underbelly community of assassins and bounty hunters, the race is on to see who will reach Aces first.

For all you guys, there's plenty of shoot'em up action and death...not to mention R&B singer Alicia Keys in thigh-high go-go boots and fishnet stockings. For the ladies, well, there's all that, plus a scruffy-looking Ryan Reynolds (surprisingly serious for the first time) and smooth as silk R&B singer Common doing a turn as Aces' right-hand man, Sir Ivy. Most of the time, when musicians try to cross over into the acting world, it doesn't work. This time, it worked for Justin Timberlake as well as for Alicia and Common. As assassin Georgia Sykes, she reminded me of one of those 70's blackploitation females like Jackie Brown. Very I'm-gonna-git-you-sucka-but-look-real-good-doing-it kind of way. And Jeremy Piven did a bang-up job as the lead character, a popular performer who wanted a hefty slice of mob action, then betrays the very organization that gave it to him.

Oh yes, and you'll definitely trip out over the unexpected twist at the end.

Bonus Funny: a manic performance by Jason Bateman.

Bonus Surprise: This hottie as a whacked-out neo-Nazi assassin. Last seen as Lindsay Lohan's love interest in Just my Luck.