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ACTOR
D.J. NaylorMark MenchTyhm KennedyAlex Tsiros
DIRECTOR
Anghus Houvouras
SYNOPSICS
20 Funerals (2004) is a English movie. Anghus Houvouras has directed this movie. D.J. Naylor,Mark Mench,Tyhm Kennedy,Alex Tsiros are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2004. 20 Funerals (2004) is considered one of the best Action,Crime,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
After a fellow Officer's funeral, 4 Cops decide that the only way to get rid of the criminal element is to stop arresting the criminals, and start burying them.
20 Funerals (2004) Trailers
20 Funerals (2004) Reviews
Solid if not Spectacular
I got a screener copy of this movie and it's very good. The acting is solid, with a few fresh new stars in the making. The plot is interesting, and realistic. The pace keeps the movie going, and kept me from getting bored. The writing manages to be both dramatic and witty. The guest starring rappers actually turned out better than I expected. The only downside I found was an excessive use of profanity. It could have benefited from just a little less in some instances. The cast is primarily male, and mostly newcomers and music industry celebs. Considering this is a Cop vs. Gangster movie that's understandable. The addition of a female gangster or cop would have made it more interesting, but it doesn't detract from it's current status. I think it could have very well have been a TV Show on a cable network, providing the opportunity to delve further into the lives and motives of the characters. All in all it was worth the time spent watching it, even though it was shorter than an average movie. I definitely recommend that people check this movie out when they have a chance, especially if you're bored with the Hollywood hotshots and big name blockbuster action flicks that spend more money on big explosion effects than on hiring actors or writers with actual talent. It was a breathe of fresh air, despite the gritty city feel. I predict that we haven't seen the last of DJ Naylor, the star of the movie, or the director, Anghus Houvouras. I know that I, for one, am anticipating seeing both again as they have quite a bit of talent.
Powerful & Gritty Drama.
20 Funerals was a good drama from relatively new director, Anghus Houvouras. Mark Mench played Sean Kietel, a cop who had had enough of criminals getting the upper hand while more cops were getting the short end of the stick. The real standout in this movie was D.J. Naylor, who played Marcus Chase. Naylor resembles a more hardcore, buffed out & tattooed Vin Diesel. His charisma carried the movie and, to be honest, it needed it. Like other reviewers, I would like to see more of Naylor in the future. With the right coaching, he could be one of the next big action stars. Other than the original plot, which consisted of four cops being fed up with the system, decide to go into business for themselves and stop playing by the book. Instead of arresting criminals, they killed them, not having to worry about lawyers, bad juries and judges putting them back out into the street. I liked this idea very much, but the movie turned into nothing more than a countdown of the top 20 criminals being hunted down with unoriginal gunfights, interrogations & dialog. The original idea along with the ending is what makes it stand out for me, otherwise, I would have rated this movie much lower. At times, the camera work and the inability to throw convincing punches reminded me that I was watching a straight-to-video movie and detracted from the experience as a whole. That, and the weak story brought my overall rating down. Recommended if you like low budget cops vs gangster movies. 6.5/10
4 COPS AND A FUNERAL
After a cop is killed, his partners decide the system for convicting criminals doesn't work. They believe if they had "20 funerals" that would clean up the town of criminals and just leave bad actors with a terrible cliche filled script. I kept expecting Steven Seagal to pop in. It was that bad. Didn't they do this in "Magnum Force?" Filmed in Atlanta. The film drags on even though there is action and killing. Of course things don't go as planned. I would sooner sit through a Seagal or Austin movie than to watch this again. F-bomb, brief sex, brief stripper nudity.
Great film - well worth checking out!
### BEWARE - MILD SPOILERS ### I just finished watching an early screener copy of this film by Anghus Houvouras. It stars DJ Naylor as one of four cops who, following the killing of a guy in their department, go vigilante, and work their way up the criminal food chain of the city, taking out gangsters and lowlifes as necessary. After all, there's nothing that can't be solved by 20 Funerals. The film has a slightly weak opening sequence where we see the cop killed, followed by an overly long credit sequence. It sets up the premise of the film okay, but interweaving the credits with a more tense, intimate scene for the undercover bust and eventual murder would have boosted the opening up a notch. Luckily, once their pal is dead and buried, it soon picks up, thanks to some great acting by all four leads, with particular props going to DJ Naylor and Mark Mench. DJ effortlessly portrays the conflicted hero/anti-hero, torn between doing the right thing, and doing the right thing. Herein lies the film's real strength: what could have simple been entertaining pulp violence is supported by a tight script, good performances, and (most importantly) and plot and characters to care about, and that sustain our interest. Retribution for murdering a cop seems justified, and when Chase (Naylor) slams down a wad of evidence against each and every target we don't question the validity of their mission. But as one soon-to-be-victim pleads for his life, petrified with fear and asking for a second chance, for the sake of his wife and kids, the morality of their quest is suddenly in doubt. And far from ignoring such issues, the situation creates doubts within the team. We watch with avid interest as these issues drive some of the characters to empathise with their victims (breaking one of the main rules of their mission - "We don't let it get personal") and others to beyond rationality. It is here that Mark Mench really shines, stealing the show from even the fantastic DJ Naylor, with an enthusiasm and depraved maniacism reminiscent of Dogma's Jason Lee. By his most fanatical scene, his Detective Keitel has undergone a complete character arc, either changed by what's happened or simple freed by their success to unleash his inner demons. Inevitably, given the structure of the film, it struggles to find an ending to match the brilliance of what has come before, but the twist in the final moments satisfies none the less, and overall the movie works very well. Great visuals, a cool soundtrack, some killer lines, and some hilarious moments make for a highly entertaining film. Well worth checking out when it hits DVD on June 7th 2005.
Entertaining Independent
Overall, this is an entertaining flick and good look at some possible new talents. Alex Tsiros and Thym Kennedy (and Naylor) do some great work with, at times, a mediocre script. The story is a great idea, but it falls flat in some places. It seems to be a function partly of writing and partly of editing - there are some scenes that don't quite connect to the rest of the story, and others where one wonders simply "Why?" Despite these downfalls, there is some wit to the script, and this is definitely not a waste of time for anyone who likes the gritty cop dramas or even just film noir. The rap stars have small roles as bad guys, but it really works well - it was a great job of crossover for the musicians. Overall, not a bad flick for something that went straight to video!