Guns Up
August 18th, 2025
MOVIE: GUNS UP
STARRING: KEVIN JAMES, CHRISTINA RICCI, LUIS GUZMAN, MELISSA LEO, TIMOTHY V. MURPHY
DIRECTED BY: EDWARD DRAKE
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 92 MINUTES
It’s always a neat trick when a comedy actor—someone like Kevin James—is pulled away from sitcoms and slapstick into the world of action. It feels unexpected, even refreshing. And when you think about actors like Bob Odenkirk, who just returned in Nobody 2, it’s not such a stretch after all. The hope, of course, is that the movie will be good: the story fresh, the action thrilling, the twist successful. Unfortunately, Guns Up is none of those things. The story feels recycled, the action is oddly dull, and there’s little to get excited about. It tries hard, but delivers very little.
Our hero is Ray Hayes (James), a father of two and husband to Alice (Christina Ricci). Once a police officer, Ray left the force to chase a dream of owning a family restaurant—but financial pressures pushed him into working for a mob boss named Michael (Melissa Leo). Her operation runs by a code: if you want out, you’re let out. With the help of her right-hand man, Ignatius (Luis Guzmán), Ray is brought into the fold. But just as he decides to leave, Michael is killed, and her replacement, Lonny Castigan (Timothy V. Murphy), isn’t about to let his best hitman walk away.
This shift marks the film’s tonal pivot—from a slow setup to… an even slower slog, peppered with bursts of violence. Ray is suddenly on the run, his family in danger, and Castigan’s thugs close behind. Along the way, secrets are revealed—particularly about Alice’s surprising past with firearms—but the plot never feels surprising. It’s all too familiar, padded with lifeless action, stiff dialogue, and predictable twists.
The novelty of Kevin James as an action star has worn off—not because of James himself, but because Guns Up brings nothing new to the genre. In a world where John Wick sets the standard, this film struggles to compete. Director Edward Drake (best known for direct-to-video Bruce Willis fare) makes the most of his limited budget, but the script—also by Drake—can’t decide if it’s an action-comedy or a gritty drama. That indecision leads to awkward pacing and a muddled tone. It doesn’t fully commit to the laughs or the thrills.
In the end, Guns Up isn’t the worst movie of 2025—but it’s far from memorable. We’ve seen this story told better, and worse (Love Hurts with Ke Huy Quan comes to mind), but even that offered a comeback worth watching. Kevin James has already proven he can play the tough guy or the villain, but if audiences are craving originality, they’ll have to look elsewhere. Films like Weapons and Sinners still lead the pack. Guns Up? Just another forgettable entry—and that’s a letdown.
2 STARS
GUNS UP IS PLAYING NOW IN SELECT THEATERS AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON DEMAND SOON.
Written by: Leo Brady
