Two for the Money (DVD)

Wow, I never thought a movie with Al Pacino could be this bad. Hell, I even enjoyed Any Given Sunday even though most people didn't, but this one certainly takes the cake. Two for the Money is a delirious look at sports betting focusing on one man, Brandon Lang (Matthew McConaughey). Lang is actually based on real-life betting tout Brandon Lane, a man you managed to win 82 percent of his games over the span of 18 months, at the same time winning a lot of people a lot of money.

Of course all this winning came after Lang was recruited by Walter (Al Pacino) a man with so many demons in his past there aren't enough closets for all his skeletons. From gambling to drinking this guy has done it all and it has left him a paranoid wreck with a heart condition, a nice little character trait that soon wears thin. Actually, it wears thin the first time he suffers an attack, after that it is just plain annoying.

Walter sees talent in Brandon and takes him under his wing and to the top of his sports betting house where he has a pay-per-call betting service and his very own television show, which actually reveals nothing other than phone numbers. A serious waste of time and money if you ask me. Nevertheless, the winning begins and it continues, but what goes up must come down as this movie never actually reaches a climax before it comes crashing to the ground.

Packed with talent (Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Piven and Rene Russo) you would think this movie would be destined for glory, but it seems the handcuffs were just a bit too tight and the story was a bit too loose. First off, none of the football teams in this movie are real. Yeah, you hear the names of cities that have football teams, but trust me, one glance and you see the teams aren't real, and that hurts the production. Unfortunately, since the NFL wants nothing to do with gambling they gave the studio no rights to use their likeness in any way shape or form, so much that they had lawyers on set during the shoot.

The second problem falls on the shoulders of the storyline. This one is missing bits and pieces that would make it a much better film. Characters seem so far over the top and it just has that natural cliché feel that has you saying, "Yup, saw that one coming." There are no surprises. Man makes good prediction. Man catches eye of sports betting house. Man wins lots of games. Man loses games. Man gets out of the game. Throw in a girl or two, love found, love lost, truth found, hope lost and you have Two for the Money. This one is as by the book as you can get.

As for the DVD, don't expect much. The most interesting piece is a look at the real Brandon Lane, the man the movie was based on, and once you are done watching this movie the last thing you want to do is listen to this guy brag about his exploits and talk about the trials and tribulations he suffered. It is safe to say I didn't buy into this movie from the start and by the time it was over I was already looking to see what was next on the list.

Steer clear of Two for the Money if you can. If you are a sports fan don't buy into the hype, this one isn't worth your time or even a rental for that matter.