Pawn Shop Chronicles is an entertaining crime comedy featuring a familiar cast, a bizarre story, and an iconic Texas setting. This is one of those fun movies that will keep your attention for an hour and a half. And then you’re going to forget all about them. Because of good dialogue and the focus on this single location, it’s somewhat similar to Kevin Smith’s Clerks. Add a lot more action, physical comedy, and even horror, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a movie. Exactly this horror part is what separates it from other, similar movies.
We will be following a bunch of colorful characters in a small town all converging at this lonely pawn shop. And since is a small-town crime movie, we will get the usual petty thieves, methheads, Elvis impersonators, and pretty much everyone out of Breaking Bad. Pawn Shop Chronicles paints a pretty accurate picture of the state of American society today. I think it will be very interesting to see how this movie feels in 10 or 20 years. I think it will be as accurate then as it is now.
When it comes to the cast of Pawn Shop Chronicles, I’m sure you’re going to recognize almost all of it. Starting with Paul Walker, who sadly passed away just after the end of filming. So, this is actually his last movie. Kramer already worked with him on the exciting thriller Running Scared. We’ve also got Brandan Fraser playing a quirky Elvis impersonator, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elijah Wood, and Norman fucking Reedus. What more to want? The story unfolds at a decent pace and just when you think that the movie slowed down, another big action scene kicks off.
Pawn Shop Chronicles is a movie consisting of three separate stories all connected by that unfortunate pawn shop. This gives it a sense of progression and keeps the atmosphere fresh throughout. Although I’ll have to admit that the first story with methheads was probably the best one. However, don’t think for a moment that the other two were boring or dull. On the contrary, they were quite intelligent, brutal, and, at times, hilarious. The entire movie is this bizarre ride you simply don’t want to end.
Especially if you like movies that are willing to go the distance. Willing to not just show ugly or graphic stuff but also to give it a disturbingly funny twist. All of this is a part of this thing we call the human experience. You don’t have to think about the message or agenda of this movie because it has none. All you have to do is sit there and let it take you on an entertaining journey.
Director: Wayne Kramer
Writers: Adam Minarovich
Cast: Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elijah Wood, Norman Reedus, DJ Qualls
Fun Facts: Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit was the original director before the job went to Wayne Kramer. I don’t know how or why.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1572315/
