This is because James is mainly known as a comedian and for his hilarious roles in movies. But in Guns Up, he’s a dedicated father and a henchman, which requires more of his serious side. Another movie star in Guns Up is Guzmán, who has starred in multiple films and shows like Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), 9/11 (2017), Godfather of Harlem 2019, Narcos (2015), among others. Guzmán brought his calm yet powerful acting skills to Guns Up. Although he didn’t do much, as he is not the main character in the film, his performance still contributed to the film’s suspense and plot twists. 

Golden Globe Award winner Melissa Leo (Michael) also starred in this film. Leo’s performance in Guns Up is captivating. The way she persuaded Ray to accept her job offer is an act to behold. She manifested clearly the act of persuasion by making Ray understand the benefits of working with her. Drake chose the right actress as Ray’s wife in Guns Up because Ricci (Alice) handled her role incredibly well. She’s the backbone of the film’s plot twist. It’s far from average because of her pretty looks and humble appearance, which contradicts the typical nature of the character for such a twist. Murphy (Costigan) delivered a moderate performance in Guns Up. Despite his scary looks in this film, which seem like the right ones for a villain, his acting is inches away from mediocre. Murphy didn’t embody his role like James or Guzmán did; it didn’t feel as natural as the audience might expect..

Outstanding Cinematography 

Brendan Galvin brought Drake’s idea to life. Galvin is the cinematographer for Guns Up, and he deserves commendation for a job well done. He captured each scene with a bright lens. A sequence filmed in the dark, where Ray wanted to escape with his family, is evidence of Galvin’s excellent cinematography choices. Instead of overly stylistic lighting, a simple, clear lighting that maintains the realism of the film was used. The lighting and color tone add a gritty, raw look that matches the film’s dark and emotional storyline. Every scene feels carefully framed to highlight both the action and the emotions behind it. He also applied dynamic transitions by using smooth camera movement to follow Ray’s family between interior spaces and exterior streets, which kept the tension blazing.

Aoife O’Leary and Gerry Owens composed the songs for Guns Up, and none of those songs sounded right. Most of the songs felt out of sync with their scenes and were boring as well. The film is a mix of family drama and action, but the soundtrack has no emotional impact on the storyline; it is forgotten easily the moment the scene ends. But still, their efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed. Even though the music arrangement for Guns Up is disappointing, Gerry Owen’s music has been used for theatrical trailers like The Lone Ranger (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Tomorrowland (2015).

And Finally 

Guns Up was enjoyable due to the family drama and the plot twists. The plot twists were what changed the whole story entirely and made the film somewhat captivating, but not much is done to make it stand out from other action movies. It’s still the typical action film that viewers are used to; the plot twists and little funny scenes make it rank slightly above average.