Story: A US Naval Intelligence officer and a DEA agent go undercover to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel. However, things go awry when their cover is blown. Now forced to work together and abandoned by their agencies, will they escape the resulting mess with their heads intact?
Review: There have been all manner of buddy-cop films over the years, with various motifs. Colors had a rookie cop with a seasoned LAPD officer, Rush Hour saw the Orient paired with the Occident, Tango & Cash saw a suave cop with a ragged partner, K-9 even had a cop teamed up with a dog while Starsky & Hutch had two goofballs. 2 Guns couldn't be a more literal title - Marcus 'Stig' Stigman (Wahlberg) packs a 9mm automatic and Robert 'Bobby' Trench (Washington) slings a .44 magnum.
The action unfolds along the US-Mexico border where the two attempt to set up drug lord Papi Greco (Olmos) by going under the radar. They rob a bank and are almost successful, but are shocked to find that the paper trail leads to some dead-ends. And while they were once the pursuers, Trench and Stigman find out that they're now the pursued.
The plot gets a bit more complex from here, as you wonder whether the camaraderie they share will fall apart. As events unfold, they realize they have been double-crossed by the very people they least expected it from. Trench and Washington have their rivalry and are wary of each other but bear a healthy respect for the other in a tight spot. And bickering aside, when push comes to shove, they could count on each having the other's back.
What sets this film apart from standard buddy-cop fare is that the enemy is in their midst and not some larger-than-life despot demanding a ransom the size of a small country's GDP. Earl (Paxton) is convincing as a villain. And Wahlberg's swagger is impressive, as is the movie.