Smokin' Aces

Las Vegas magician and aspiring gangster Buddy “Aces” Israel finds himself in hiding at a hotel in Lake Tahoe while his agent negotiates a potential immunity deal with FBI Deputy Director Stanley Locke. Unbeknownst to him, the situation becomes dire when the ailing mob boss Primo Sparazza places a staggering $1 million bounty on his head, dispatching a mysterious figure known as “the Swede” to claim Israel’s heart. As the tension rises, a ruthless array of assassins competes for this reward, including the cunning master of disguise Lazlo Soot, deadly hitwomen Sharice Watters and Georgia Sykes, mercenary Pasquale Acosta, and the psychotic neo-Nazi brothers Darwin, Jeeves, and Lester Tremor.

In a bid to protect Israel, Locke assigns special agents Richard Messner and Donald Carruthers to bring him into protective custody. However, other forces are at play; bail bondsmen Jack Dupree, “Pistol” Pete Deeks, and Hollis Elmore are also hunting for Israel under the orders of the law firm that arranged his bail. The hunters soon find themselves ambushed by the Tremor brothers, resulting in a deadly encounter that leaves Elmore as the sole survivor. Meanwhile, Messner investigates the horrifying murder scene while Carruthers heads to the hotel, where all the assassins are already in pursuit of their target.

Amidst this chaos, Carruthers spots Acosta, who is masquerading as a hotel security officer. A fierce gunfight ensues, leaving both agents severely wounded. Soot manages to infiltrate Israel’s penthouse by posing as Hugo, Israel’s henchman. Tensions peak when Sir Ivy, Israel’s second-in-command, confronts him regarding the plea deal, leading to a scuffle with hotel security.

As the situation spirals, Locke unexpectedly pulls the plug on the immunity deal without informing Messner and Carruthers. The Tremor brothers storm the penthouse, engaging in a brutal battle that claims the lives of Jeeves and Lester. In despair upon learning about the deal’s termination, Israel contemplates ending his life.

In the midst of the pandemonium, Sykes finds herself trapped by Messner’s strategic move near the elevator. With the situation escalating, Watters provides sniper cover from a distance, proving lethal against Messner’s team. After a series of violent encounters, a wounded Acosta manages to shoot Sykes, while a dying Carruthers takes down Acosta, leading to a frantic chain of events. After a failed attempt on Ivy, Darwin Tremor escapes as Messner, distraught over the loss of Carruthers, allows Sykes and Ivy to leave.

As the hotel is stormed by Locke and his team, Israel is rushed to the hospital. Soot manages to escape, while Acosta is taken away on a gurney, still showing signs of life. A bloody conclusion awaits as Darwin meets his end at the hands of Elmore.

While at the hospital, Messner uncovers a shocking revelation: the Swede is, in fact, a renowned heart surgeon, and Soot was dispatched to harvest Israel’s heart as a transplant for Sparazza, who is actually Freeman Heller—once an undercover FBI agent believed dead by the mob. Heller’s true identity was a desperate measure born from a tragic past, where he adopted Sparazza’s persona out of rage.

Fueled by rage for the unnecessary losses, Messner confronts the grim reality of Locke’s intentions to sacrifice Israel to prolong Sparazza’s criminal empire. Dismayed by this callousness, Messner takes drastic action, locking himself in the operating room and shutting off life support for both Israel and Sparazza. As Locke and his men desperately pound on the door, Messner resigns from the FBI, laying down his badge and gun, ready to face the repercussions of his actions.

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 14:06