Stickmen (2001) Online

I don't know where some of the folks leaving comments are coming from. Maybe I am not "high brow" enough, but I do know a funny and entertaining movie when I see one.

I caught this movie on a flight from London to Chicago and got to watch it twice. The second time was even better as I managed to catch some nuances that I missed the first time around.

I liked this movie so much that I am going to try and purchase the DVD. I get the feeling that this will be one of those few movies that I will never tire of watching and that every once in a while I will pop in the DVD player just to unwind and get reacquainted with an old friend (like Ferris Bueller's Day Off).

Now I only hope that there is a sequel and that it is as good as the first one!

I watched this movie late on a Saturday night on T.V and hadn't even heard of it. I was thoroughly surprised and uplifted by the whole thing. I play pub pool and a lot of the dialogue and circumstances made me chuckle in my armchair. E. g when Thomas (Paulo Rotondo) says "I mean as long as i have got a pool cue in one hand, a beer in the other, coin on the table and my mates by my side I'll be happy". That is me all over. I bought this movie straight after I watched it but had to wait 2 weeks for my local video store to order it in. A film like this should not be one to be forgotten on the shelf never mind not even find it. One of my favourite films of today. With no well known actors this film wouldn't appeal to most, but seriously don't judge a book by its cover, or a video or a CD. 9 out of 10 a must see for the pub sportsman.

I don't like to repeat what has been said before, but it is true. This is very much like Tarantino meets Ritchie. With that said, here is the lowdown. The first scene (set) has such a great slap to it, if you do not find it funny; there is no sense in going any further.

Three mates (best friends) get put into an underground pool tournament. The real catch is it consists of only one game per match and locations of the matches keep changing. Keep in mind; the `shock' content is part of this grand journey. The dialogue is quite humorous. Although you may not get all of the humor, as this is a New Zealand (Kiwi) brand of humor, it is great just the same.

The three words to best describe this film would be seedy, sexy, and smart. The many directions the characters go in this film is exactly what happens to real people when put under strange conditions. This is totally devoted to the characters rather than pool, but it is sure to be a pool theme classic film. Low budget? You bet, but totally worth it. So I do recommend it for the Babes, Booze, Bars, Bros., and yes of course - the pool!

PEACE!

Jack is a ladies' man who can barely remember the names of the many women he has had in his bed – even when they are still in his bed. Wayne has been dumped by his girlfriend, while Thomas barely sees his and is starting to cheat with Sara. Together they have one main love – playing pool in their local bar. When the barman gets into money trouble he strikes a deal with loan shark 'Daddy' to bet the rest of the bar on his three customers to win Daddy's annual high profile pool contest. Going under the name Stickmen, the trio enter the contest, but can they keep their nerves among distractions and Daddy's violent methods for managing anything.

Not sure what this was about, I decided to give it a go in the absence of anything else that I really wanted to see. The film marks itself out as being based around the visual style and snappy dialogue of things like Lock, Stock, with the similar theme of crime and cool protagonists. In this regard I kind of accepted that this film wasn't going to do anything special at any point and I just met it on its own terms. The plot is nothing more than a collection of unlikely pool games punctuated with talking, f*cking or fighting all on the way to the inevitable conclusion with a few unconvincing twists. It never really does anything unexpected but it does have a certain energy to it that keeps it watchable.

The director has learnt from other people and gives the film a good atmosphere with a good sense of energy and style – again it is hardly different or unique but it does work well enough to do the job. The script has the same rough energy to it, mixing pop culture references with enough of a flirtatious swagger to come across as entertaining even if it lacks any real laughs, clever scripting or wit. The cast help the script in this area, with some typically New Zealand acting – tough guys, sassy women etc. Magasiva is a nice presence – build, sexy and with good charisma; he has little to do other than that but he is as required. Wills provides some good laughs and even Rotondo deals well with the fact that he has to carry much of the actual story involving his character and Sara. Nordhaus also has this problem and she does better than the material allows. Kessell is very cute and sexy but doesn't do much more than that – but in fairness the film didn't ask for anything else. The various support characters all help keep the films energy with several colourful parts, albeit they just gimmicks rather than people.

Overall this is not a very good film but it treads a solid path that is energetic and stylish enough to cover its many weaknesses and produce a roughly enjoyable film. Lacking anything original to do and with a pretty thin plot, it falls to the director's style, snappy dialogue, sex, violence and pool scenes to carry the film; they're not much cop any of them but they do enough to carry the film anyway.

Why do so many people want to compare this film to lock stock? is it a British thing? maybe. ENOUGH ABOUT LOCK STOCK (which in my opinion was a film full of mis cast actors.

Stickmen does not make you rethink your life! Stickmen does not make you want to start your own pool team! ( dirty dancing made me want to dance, Rocky made me want to box.)

What stickmen gives you is 1.5 hrs of laughs followed by tension, followed by romance followed by pool. It is full of kiwi humour and although a different genre to "brain dead" it clearly has the same down to earth non pompous attitude to laughter.

so lets get our heads out of our butts and laugh at Wayne, envy Jack and get our moms to smother Thomas in kisses. Who would have thought that so many class performances could have come from Shortland street.

This is a film to see. While not very deep it has some great scenes, if only for their visual aspect. A great little story about three men looking to make their mark in the world of stick-ball. However, they get caught up in the world of the mob. Action, sex, and pool; what more could you ask for. It is well put together and gives two hours of entertainment. Don't miss out on your chance to watch this film. It may not be very profound, but quality acting and a good director make this a fun film to watch. They may want to look for a new writer, but this production crew has some great ideas. Look for more good movies to be coming out of these people. I will be watching all of them. You should too.

Yes I was reminded of Guy Ritchie's style while watching this film, but what's wrong with that? This movie is entertaining! There isn't much of a message here other than a few allegories bandied about linking relationships with billiards, but you know what? The actors were all very believable in their roles. It is funny and above all it is stylish and entertaining! Check it out.

I loved this film. Ok, it's made on the cheap, the story is very basic and some of the characters are over the top, but that describes "Resevoir Dogs" and " Lock, Stock..." as well. The acting and sense of humour are superb, and it contains a real insight into New Zealand's lad culture. Visually stunning, occasionally letting style overtake substance (just like Tarantino and Ritchie did with their films), it is a joy to watch. And the drunken pool master is really funny. If you're prepared to let the higher brain functions have a night off, catch this film. More fun than a cat in a Microwave. (And if that line offends you, probably give this film a miss.)

Although this film comes onto its audience like an extended beer commercial and breeds initial suspicion that it may be a shot-for-shot remake of 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', ultimately it's not too bad. The characters might be the broadest stereotypes on paper (there's even a whore with a heart of gold) but the actors flesh them out with enough of their own charm, idiosyncrasies (and outright sex appeal) to make the roles seem lived in. The performances are universally good (although Kessel's and Nordhaus' stand out most), but the thinness of the material shows through in some places (like the lack of distinction among the personalities of the three central mates).

Like a lot of film-makers these days, 'Stickmen''s came to features though advertising, and this leaves obvious and continual marks on the film's visual style. There's a lot of rapid cutting and camera motion - general ad-industry tricksiness. It shows also in the care they've taken with surface detail and lighting; like 'Lock Stock...', 'Stickmen' is an exercise in imbuing a fairly humdrum urban locale with an impossibly scungy hipness. Its Wellington is a down-at-heel props-fest of found 70s-kitsch art objects.

While there might not ever be another really good New Zealand film (it often seems like the Right has killed off the arts-sector here, except as an adjunct of Marketing), 'Stickmen' is OK. It looks good, and it functions as entertainment, unlike say, 'Via Satellite'. It's a pity it couldn't have been more than just a story about some guys, some chicks, and a game of pool.

Rather than the Lockstock comparisons (con-tricks in a seedy pub-world of nicknames and an eccentric Mr. Big villain), I was more worried about this film becoming a kiwi take on Doug Lihman's "Swingers" - this worry compounded by the match-cutting of a pool ball been potted and a couple reaching orgasm in the opening minutes of the film.

The visual flashiness and misogynistic small-talk soon subsides and the film becomes a rather sweet sport-film (underdogs in the tournament of their lives, betrayal, self-doubt, physical incapacity before 'big game' etc.). The acting certainly helps, as does the novelty of each pool team representing a deliberately cartoonish tribal-stereotype (similar to the fun of the various 'gangs' in Walter Hill's "The Warriors").

The makers show they are a clever bunch making a competent mass market film that veers the right side of indulging rather than insulting the viewer's intelligence. (I especially liked the underplayed fact that if the stickmen win the final it will give the pub-landlord money to do up their seedy watering-hole and turn it into the sort of flashy pub they hate!)

60 out of 82.

Stickmen was great on video for an easy night in. Having heard positive feedback about it for so long I was pleasantly surprised when my high expectations were not disappointed. Sure - it bore some similarities to Lock Stock, but who cares? The caper genre is nothing new. Plans are made, foiled, remade, and the crafty plot comes with some genuinely funny laughs. In fact, I liked it better than Lock Stock for the mere fact that in the place of mass gratuitous violence was a game: we see more confrontations with pool cues than with guns, and yet Stickmen still maintains the seedy/tough flavour. Not only that but there are female characters who are central to the plot, and they even have their own personalities! A great piece of filmmaking.

This film could have been compared to Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels if it had been good enough, as it is; I believe that those who made the comparison did so without thinking. Stickmen is very nearly a first rate film, and overall, it is a very entertaining piece with excellent physical casting, in fact, the look in general, is brilliant. So where did it go wrong? The story is a good yarn building (eventually) to a good climax and dénouement, but it lacks in the telling, and presents itself more as a collection of anecdotes than a thread of narrative or story line. As I said, the physical casting is brilliant, but not all the cast can act well and much direction needed to ground the performances of the leading men simply wasn't there, the performances were also uneven, with one or two actors so obviously more gifted than the rest, and one so much so that he was almost a solo performance, overall, the women were ahead of the men in acting skills. The production values and the camera work were generally fine, but occasionally over the top, this mistake again contributed to the films unevenness. I believe that the team responsible should learn from this nearly great film and forge ahead with a sequel or a film of similar style allowing time and energy to be spent on better scripting and upon lifting individual performance and developing better cohesion between the actors.

A story about three friends playing in an underground pool tournament, this film should appeal to pool lovers, and fans of the classic UK gang films, such as "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."

Stickmen isn't a high-budget, perfectly polished film, unlike most of those released today, but it's all the better for it; where other movies rely on digital editing and fancy effects to perfect them and draw their audiences, Stickmen uses a good story and great characters.

The slightly rough, almost unfinished look makes you feel a greater connection with the story, and fits in with the underground society into which the characters are thrown.

Add in the tournaments, ranging through the tense, hilarious and the spectacular, this is a film to watch whether you play the game or not.

I saw this film on TV and wasn't expecting anything more than something to fill the time one late night. However I was happily surprised to see this event-packed tale of 3 good mates. The main characters were presented clearly and reasonably comprehensively in relation to the storyline which produced a believable and enjoyable turn of events involving gangs, women and money, what else do you want? For those expecting a film just about pool and the life of wanna-be pros, don't bother watching it. Here you are shown the 'underground' of New Zealand and although I have no clue how accurate, or not, this is; it is an interesting change on the usual Italian mob or gang-bangers you normally see in movies. The film gets better as it goes along and the comedy is seamlessly woven in, both situational and dialogue based. Something that I won't forget for a very long time is the 'guy in the pink shirt' scenario! I highly recommend this film which likes any of the following film plots - Underground life, Gangsters, friends sticking together or being the 'underdogs'. For those who are not fans of these plot lines then I recommend it anyway as I doubt many would be disappointed!

Stickmen was an enjoyable film with a strong Kiwi flavour, some likable characters and plenty of laughs. The plot was well-paced with very few hiccups; the directing was slick, professional, and did justice to the film's comedic moments. Minor criticisms: some genre cliches, some awkward dialogue (particularly in the romantic scenes), occasionally uneven acting.

Nothing too original or artistic here, but overall this was a fun underworld comedy caper. Recommended to fans of Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, and Mike Hodges (Croupier, Get Carter). Nice work. 8/10

A must see! Those Kiwi's really know how to make a movie. Wellington was an excellent place to shoot this movie. Great pubs, people, and entertainment. The "downtrough" had to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie, how embarrassing would that be if that happened to you. Check it out, you'll be impressed.

This is not the best movie I have seen in a while - but it is one of the most entertaining. It moves along well, and both the story and characters are fun and interesting. The end is great, and seems 'just right'.

Stickmen is a very funny film about three NZ lads who spend their nights at a run down pool hall, drink to get very drunk, and have varying degrees of success with the women they encounter. One of the main characters and the star pool player, Jack, has a running gag of never remembering the names of the women he is sleeping with even after he has known them for a week. There is also the token stupid but funny character who plays pool WITH his appartment and wakes up the next day to exclaim that his place was trashed by someone the previous night and somehow he has scratches on his pool cue. PS if you are a catholic priest you may or may not find humour in one of his scenes. (If you aren't a catholic priest you will find it very funny).

Through their friendship with the owner of the pool hall they find themselves in an underground pool tournament, run by a sinister barber (yes I mean that), where the stakes rise as the film goes on.

I usually go to NZ films because I figure, someone has to! In our few successes we are known for such films as "The Piano" and "Once Were Warriors", which are powerful dramas that do the art-house theatres around the world. Stickmen is not an art-house drama. It is a rollicking good film with lots of humour, some violence, some Simone Kessell nudity, and a few tricks to watch out for (including the guy in the pink shirt).

This is highly recommended.

Within moments of the start of this film I saw I was going to love it. The characters are fantastic, the cinematography is brilliant, and the plot? Gripping. It's great to see a New Zealand-made film at last that isn't stifled by this countries PC element. It is simply a great story, well directed and well acted. I hope it is a sign that kiwi cinema is taking a turn for the better.

I read the other comments, and some of them made me cringe--New Zealand's tall poppy syndrome rearing its ugly head once more. Get a grip, guys. The movie's great, slick, professional, and most Hollywood movies have a bigger catering budget than Stickmen was made for. What are you, disgruntled wannabe filmmakers?

Stickmen has a great script, based on the real life exploits of Nick Ward (writer) and his mates, the real Stickmen. It's brilliantly directed, with some incredible shots and number eight wire special effects that look as good or better than other recent efforts (especially the fabulous final pool trick, done with nothing more than an invisible thread and the instruction "Stand really still"). The acting is great, it's well-cast and has some really memorable characters--Caller has to be seen to be believed. Other aspects--lighting, sound, camerawork, music--all great. The soundtrack for the last twenty minutes of the film especially deserves special note for adding just that extra edge of tension to an already highly-strung situation.

Every part of Stickmen comes together smoothly to create an excellent, original movie, the kind that makes me proud to be a Kiwi and happy to be a movie lover.

My bottom line: Better than Lock Stock and Snatch put together. Of course, I would say that.

After watching a few trashy NZ films its great to see a totally entertaining and fresh flick which keeps you guessing,laughing and enthralled from start to finish. Bassically 3 kiwi guys are thrust into a high stakes pool tournament, were they play a bevy of different and interesting characters every round,throw in a couple of chicks, and underworld King Pin"Daddy" and his lakeys and you have the formula for stickmen. Add to the mix a few interesting Sub plots/Diversions-The guy who works as a driver for escorts, the guy with the pink shirt etc, and you have the freshest film to come out of New Zealand since the days of Brain Dead and Once Were Warriors.

Once again, Kiwis prove they can do anything....and do it well. This film is SLICK! Great production, great acting, great writing, action, sex, tension, love, personal growth, winning, losing and learning.

All in all a movie that kept me glued to the screen and talking about it afterwards.

The characters come across as real, the locations are spot on(Kiwis will confirm this), the talk, the walk and the feel of the film are the sort of thing that you just don't get from top Hollywood studios....yet theres nothing lost in production here.

I'm a Kiwi so I'm biased but hell...get this movie out, watch it and judge for yourself....I reckon its great! ;)

This film has to be one of the all time best from us Kiwi's. It has managed to wrap comic material with menace and poolhall excitement in a great entertainment package. I hope it does enormously well on the international stage - it deserves to.

I saw Stickmen at its premiere in Wellington, NZ, and I have to say I enjoyed the humour and the pool scenes - very well done!

Some of the trick shots were quite good, as was the shaving efforts of 'Daddy'...

Heavily influenced by Guy Richie's 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', with a similar plot (a few likeable lads get in over their heads with colourful local gangsters), style (slow-motion and other camera tricks, dark humour, some sexy violence) and setting (the seedier side a big city, particularly lots of bars), this is an enjoyable if shallow piece of pulp film. Like most Kiwi films some of the acting leaves a bit to be desired, none of the characters are particularly deep, you won't learn any higher truths or even move your intellect out of second gear, but it is good fun, particularly if you enjoy a bit of pool. Wait for the entrance of 'The Men In Black': it's the movie's best scene.

6/10