10 Brilliant Characters Trapped In Terrible Movies

For all his popularity, longevity and charm, Ryan Reynolds has a strange habit of starring in films which end up being critical and commercial failures, hence the reason he makes this list twice.

In Smokin' Aces, an odd assortment of hired killers are sent after a mafia informant (Jeremy Piven), whilst two FBI agents (Reynolds and Ray Liotta) work to protect him for an upcoming trial.

Despite the packed cast, which also includes Alicia Keys, Common, Taraji P. Henson, Chris Pine and Ben Affleck, it's Reynolds' agent Richard Messner who emerges as the film's leading character. A man caught between a rock and a hard place, he's driven by his duty but soon learns a series of devastating truths which shake his worldview.

Though Messner makes for a great focal point, the rest of Smokin' Aces views like nothing more than a gratuitously over-the-top, dialogue-driven thriller that's clearly trying its hardest to be a Tarantino-esque action flick.

If only Reynolds had been given more time to shine, the film around him wouldn't have watched like such a convoluted, unfocussed mess.