Deuces Wild (2002)

3% of critics liked it
(66 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(9,868 ratings)

This gang warfare drama is from director Scott Kalvert, whose previous film was the controversial and violent The Basketball Diaries (1995). In the sweltering summer of 1958, Leon (Stephen Dorff) and Bobby (Brad Renfro) are leaders of the Brooklyn street gang known as the Deuces. When their brother… More This gang warfare drama is from director Scott Kalvert, whose previous film was the controversial and violent The Basketball Diaries (1995). In the sweltering summer of 1958, Leon (Stephen Dorff) and Bobby (Brad Renfro) are leaders of the Brooklyn street gang known as the Deuces. When their brother Alley Boy died from an overdose, the two toughs vowed to keep narcotics out of their turf, but now they're being muscled by a new and more powerful gang called the Vipers, fueled by drug money and led by mobster Fritzy Zennetti (Matt Dillon). As a vicious gang war heats up that will determine Brooklyn's future, a romance develops between Bobby and Annie (Fairuza Balk), the leader of a girl gang. Deuces Wild co-stars Frankie Muniz, Balthazar Getty, Max Perlich, Drea de Matteo, Deborah Harry, Vincent Pastore, Joshua Leonard, James Franco, and Johnny Knoxville. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Scott Kalvert
Written By: Paul Kimatian, Christopher Gambale
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: May 3, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Aug 6, 2002
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Robert Koehler, Variety
This is a movie that can't say no to a melodramatic opportunity, and whatever verisimilitude inspired Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale to write a script based on Kimatian's memories of the gangs has been utterly lost along the way.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Slow-motion shots of swaggering tough guys punctuate this painfully hackneyed gang drama set in late-50s Brooklyn.
Christy Lemire, Associated Press
The script from first-timers Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale requires Dillon to say corny things like: 'Bricks don't fall outta the sky in this neighborhood unless I'm throwin' 'em.' Tony Soprano, he ain't.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Propelled not by characters but by caricatures.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
No telegraphing is too obvious or simplistic for this movie.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
If there's a heaven for bad movies, Deuces Wild is on its way.
Martin Scribbs, Low IQ Canadian
What died in here, and who can we call to take its carcass away?
Susan Michals, FilmStew.com
If it was the intention of Kalvert, Gambale and Kimatian to infiltrate their script with every stereotypical hoodlum cliché from every movie covering Brooklyn bad boys, they were on the money. Too bad their movie isn't.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Tentando desesperadamente se transformar em uma espécie de O Selvagem da Motocicleta do novo milênio (com toques de Amor, Sublime Amor), o filme é esquemático demais, tornando-se artificial e nada envolvente.
Heather Wadowski, Film Threat
With a couple of plot twists and a few powerful performances, Deuces Wild is worth checking out -- but only on home video.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
I accuse films of being generic and unoriginal on a regular basis, but rarely have I seen a movie so determined to check off every cliché on the list as Deuces Wild.
Manohla Dargis, L.A. Weekly
Astonishing isn't the word -- neither is incompetent, incoherent or just plain crap. Indeed, none of these words really gets at the very special type of badness that is Deuces Wild.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...we have a case of the audiovisual qualities of a movie far outstripping the merits of the film itself.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
Despite its best intentions, Deuces Wild is an empty hand.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
Both half-hearted and half-assed
Stephen Himes, Film Snobs
It does nothing new with the old story, except to show fisticuffs in this sort of stop-go slow motion that makes the gang rumbles look like they're being streamed over a 28K modem.
Bob Grimm, Las Vegas Mercury
Some decent actors inflict big damage upon their reputations.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
If they broke out into elaborate choreography, singing and finger snapping it might have held my attention, but as it stands I kept looking for the last exit from Brooklyn.
Audrey Rock-Richardson, Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)
It hasn't got a clue where it's going, or which movie it wants to copy most.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A stale drama about two rival white gangs who live across the street from each other.

Read all 23 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Conner R

While this movie is completely ridiculous and corny, it's still fun to see Stephen Dorff being the bizarre person he is. There's actually some really good things about the movie, there's some very decent acting from Brad Renfro and Balthazar Getty, but the majority is… More
While this movie is completely ridiculous and corny, it's still fun to see Stephen Dorff being the bizarre person he is. There's actually some really good things about the movie, there's some very decent acting from Brad Renfro and Balthazar Getty, but the majority is just a rip-off of various other gangster movies. There's really nothing that hasn't been seen before and the characters aren't interesting enough to make it memorable. Visually it's pretty bland too.
Tsubaki S

Not bad, too cliche at times and predictable resolution, but still not bad. I guess it helps that i'm a sucker for 50s retro stuff. Fairuza Balk also looks hot in some kind of weird way.
Al S

An explosive gangland drama, the best film of it's kind since The Outsiders. An electrifying film that explodes with action and a powerful cast of superb talents and gifted new comers. It has style and groove thats all it's own
danny d

fun outsiders type of flick
Leo L

Great movie!
Chosen 7

Decent film, decent plot...very entertaining.