The Guard

A laid-back, Irish spin on LETHAL WEAPON 2, anchored by Gleeson’s hilarious, sniggery one-man wrecking ball that McDonagh subtly escalates to mythic heights during the gunfight finale and ambiguous coda. While the film in sum total is not revolutionary, there are enough small touches that give it some distinction, especially the by-play between Strong, Cunningham and Wilmot who never let their clownish villains lose credibility, and Cheadle who in some ways has the most difficult job playing reactionary straight-man to the comical figures around him. There’s a certain fire missing from this which stalls the momentum from time to time, but overall it’s great fun, especially if you have any fondness for Gleeson.