2002, 1 hr 35 min., Rated R for violence, language and some drug use.�Dir: Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Cast: Barry Pepper (Matty Demaret), Vin Diesel (Taylor), Seth Green (Marbles), Andrew Davoli (Chris Scarpa), Dennis Hopper (Benny 'Chains' Demaret), John Malkovich (Teddy), Tom Noonan (Sheriff).

Knockaround Guys takes a lickin', but keeps on tickin'. The lickin' comes from how the movie can't seem to find a style, and the tickin' is due solely to the decent actors involved.

It has a good premise -- it explores the disillusioned, displaced sons of mobsters -- but I'm not sure what this movie was trying to accomplish. A group of guys leaving the theater apparently shared my view, saying to each other that it wasn't anything like what they expected. I've got another guess: It was so busy trying to be, that it never was.

Not that it is the reason, but I want to make note that there are two directors listed. Seems as if they couldn't agree on where to go. Of course, they also co-wrote the film, so maybe they simply couldn't figure out the best way to bring it to life.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the above negativity has nothing to do with Barry Pepper being the lead in the ensemble cast of fine actors. Pepper actually does pretty well as the young don't-wanna-be-goombah. His young turks (younger, less traditional generation of Mafiosi, less likely to live by the old rules) include Vin Diesel as the enforcer, Andrew Davoli as the playboy and Seth Green is a druggie pilot babbo (a dope, idiot, useless underling), who is described by Hopper as "half and idiot, and that's the good half."

The 'adults' in the flick include John Malkovich as Pepper's uncle/mentor and Dennis Hopper as Pepper's father and underboss with a penchant of playing the manly game of handball to unwind after hours of blackmailing politicians and beating store owners. Seems the adults don't have much faith in the next generation picking up the family business. "You brought us the sandwiches. What else can you do?" asks Hopper of Pepper, who hasn't exactly shown a proclivity for the lifestyle. Neither Hopper nor Malkovich are convincing, with the latter trying a little too hard to be a treacherous mob guy.

Much of the dialogue seems forced, as if the guys had to check the script every five minutes to confirm that they are supposed to say such things to sound properly, let's say, influential. (Duh, let's see, so 'cugine' means a young toughguy looking to be made?) And when the guys end up in Wibeaux, Montana, to find a bag of cash, they're more out of place than Rosie O'Donnell at the gym. Of course, this is the point, but in Montana the film can't decide whether this is funny or serious. It tries to be both, but I think it would've been better served either making fun of the situation or shaking down the townsfolk with intimidation.

With this push and pull of style, it ended up clumsy. Sorry, I wanted to like the Knockaround Guys, but since I can't be convinced that it's properly mobbed up, I can't vouch for it.