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Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility."
Spider-Man has declared that this article is still under construction. |
| “ | You just told me your grandmother said that piss is good for your skin. | „ |
| ~ Richard while joking with Carruthers about his grandma |
Richard Messner is the main protagonist of Smokin' Aces.
Buddy "Aces" Israel, a mob informant targeted for assassination. Messner's background includes experience in undercover operations, and he finds himself thrust into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse as he tries to keep Aces alive amidst a flurry of dangerous adversaries. Throughout the film, Messner faces moral dilemmas and personal challenges as he navigates the murky world of law enforcement and organized crime. His character provides a grounded and relatable perspective amidst the chaos of the unfolding events.
He was portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, who also played Deadpool in the X-Men films, Hal Jordan in Green Lantern (2011), Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, Nick Walker in R.I.P.D., Paul Conroy in Buried, Guy in Free Guy, Michael Bryce in The Hitman's Bodyguard, Cal in IF, and voiced Guy in The Croods, Pikachu in Detective Pikachu and Theo in Turbo.
Biography[]
Richard Messner was an FBI agent who, alongside his partner Donald Carruthers, was assigned to protect Buddy "Aces" Israel, a former Las Vegas magician turned informant, who was in hiding at a Lake Tahoe hotel. Israel was negotiating a potential immunity deal with FBI Deputy Director Stanley Locke, but the situation became more complicated when ailing mob boss Primo Sparazza placed a $1 million bounty on Israel's head. Several assassins were hired to collect the reward, including Lazlo Soot, hitwomen Sharice Watters and Georgia Sykes, mercenary Pasquale Acosta, and the dangerous Tremor brothers: Darwin, Jeeves, and Lester.
Messner and Carruthers were tasked with taking Israel into protective custody, but things took a turn when they discovered that bail bondsmen Jack Dupree, "Pistol" Pete Deeks, and Hollis Elmore had also been hired to capture Israel. After a violent encounter with the Tremor brothers, only Elmore managed to survive. While Messner investigated the scene of the attack, Carruthers headed to the hotel, where the assassins had already infiltrated. During a confrontation, Carruthers and Acosta, disguised as a security officer, were both seriously wounded in a gunfight.
Meanwhile, Soot managed to enter Israel's penthouse, posing as his associate, and Israel's second-in-command, Sir Ivy, confronted Israel for planning to testify against him. Ivy was subdued by hotel security, and in a separate development, Messner and Carruthers were not informed by Locke that he had suddenly withdrawn from the deal to protect Israel. The Tremor brothers attacked the hotel’s security team and Ivy, killing two of the brothers. In the chaos, Israel, learning the deal had been canceled, attempted suicide but ultimately failed.
As the violence continued, Messner cornered Georgia Sykes, but she was able to escape with the help of a sniper, Sharice Watters, who provided cover from a nearby hotel. A standoff ensued, with multiple casualties on both sides. Sykes managed to reach the penthouse, where she stopped Darwin Tremor from killing Ivy. Tremor managed to escape, and Messner, grieving the loss of his partner Carruthers, allowed Ivy and Sykes to go free. Meanwhile, Watters, watching through her rifle scope, saw Skyes being carried out of the hotel safe just before she is shot dead in a hotel room by FBI agents.
Locke and his team eventually arrived at the hotel and took Israel to the hospital. Soot managed to escape, Acosta was taken away alive, and Darwin Tremor was killed by Elmore. At the hospital, Messner learned the truth: Sparazza’s heart was failing, and Israel, being his illegitimate son, was the only compatible donor. Sparazza's true identity was Freeman Heller, a former undercover FBI agent who had been betrayed and killed by the FBI. After surviving, he adopted the mob boss persona of Sparazza.
Furious over the unnecessary deaths, including that of Carruthers and his fellow agents, Messner confronted Locke about the plan to sacrifice Israel in order to save Sparazza and continue exploiting his criminal empire. Instead of complying with Locke's orders to keep quiet, Messner locked himself in the operating room with Israel and Sparazza and took both off life support, effectively ending their lives. As Locke and his team tried to break into the room, Messner placed his badge and gun on the floor, seemingly resigning from the FBI and awaiting his punishment.
Quotes[]
| “ | Richard Messner: [while staring at the comatose Buddy Israel and Primo Sparazza] Make it make sense. Stanley Locke: They are father and son. Israel's mother was nineteen at the time. She and Sparazza had a brief affair of which Israel was the byproduct. That same year, she brought a paternity suit against him. Richard Messner: Our surveillance of Padiche, Serna... Stanley Locke : All bogus and bad information that set off a series of unfortunate events. Dr. Ingstrom, the Swede, is not a hired killer. He's actually the head of cardiology at Stockholm University. He's one of the best heart surgeons in the world. The actual contract went to Lazlo Soot, the man who escaped the penthouse yesterday... in disguise. He was hired by Sparazza to neutralize Israel's entourage. Dr. Ingstrom was here to perform the surgery, and as father and son, they are blood compatible. Richard Messner: You're talking about a transplant, aren't you? You're talking about a fucking heart transplant. You're gonna kill Israel to save Sparazza. Stanley Locke: [hands Messner a folder] No. [reffering to Sparazza's plastic surgery] Stanley Locke : It wasn't elective. It was undertaken to save his life. It wasn't cosmetic. It was reconstructive. Look at the date of the first procedure. Same year that Sparazza supposedly murdered Freeman Heller. Freeman Heller: [flashback] I'd like to show you exactly what I meant when I said, "Change my face." Using the latest techniques in cosmetic surgery, I will have my ears pinned back. Removing a slight piece of bone in my chin I will alter my jaw line. A procedure known as rhinoplasty will reduce the size of my nose. If you add facial hair to the equation, gentlemen, you have a face that looks nothing like mine and more importantly, nothing like a federal agent's. Richard Messner: [present day] Oh, Christ. Freeman Heller: [flashback] I will maintain a slight limp. My accent will be a regional Calabrese. My birthplace, Cosenza, Italy. Richard Messner: [present day] That's him. Freeman Heller : [flashback] And my name... Richard Messner: [present day] That's Heller. Freeman Heller: [flashback]... will be Primo Sparazza. Now, gentlemen, I understand that this is a dramatic approach. Stanley Locke: [present day] He went deep cover in 1940. He could have ripped the Mafia apart. Freeman Heller: [flashback] But I firmly believe... Stanley Locke: [present day] Dismantled most of the organized crime in this country. Freeman Heller: [flashback]... this is the only way to truly infiltrate organized crime. Stanley Locke: His superiors were convinced that he had gone rogue, swapped allegiances, so they gave the order to terminate his cover. All this time, we were told that it was Sparazza that killed Heller, when it was us, the FBI. And we didn't kill him. He survived. But the injuries he sustained required constant surgery, forever alterine his features. So he assumed the identity of his alter ego. The figment of Primo Sparazza became flesh and blood, and Freeman Heller was no more. Now, the brass wanted Heller's op removed from official records, so they buried it completely and they wrote Heller off. All the agents from that era, they're dead and gone, so history defaulted to fable. Until now. Heller's op predated the second World War. About 60 years of amassed intel. Do you have any idea how valuable that is? Richard Messner: Yeah. So you made another deal, didn't you? Stanley Locke: Israel's deal with the government was tossed out. We are now trying to rehabilitate him, so we can attempt a transplant. Richard Messner: You realize that you're doing this to save Sparazza? Stanley Locke: No, son. I'm doing all this to save Heller. [Messner has learned the truth about Sparazza and is upset about losing his partner for nothing] Richard Messner: You tell me something. Is he the Rosetta Stone? He's gonna blow the lid off the last sixty years? |
„ |
| ~ Richard finding out the truth about his mission |
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- In the movie "Smokin' Aces," Ryan Reynolds portrays FBI agent Richard Messner. Messner is a determined and skilled agent tasked with protecting
- Adapting the Script: The role of Messner was originally written for a much older actor. The script was reworked to accommodate Phillippe's younger portrayal, focusing on his disillusionment with the FBI system.
- While not explicitly confirmed, some fans speculate that Messner's character might draw inspiration from real-life FBI whistle-blowers like Fred Whitehurst, who exposed corruption within the agency.
- For Ryan Phillippe, Messner was a departure from his usual leading-man roles. He enjoyed portraying a more complex and morally conflicted character.
- Despite the film's action sequences, Messner's dry humor provides a welcome contrast to the violence. His one-liners add a layer of personality and help navigate the tense situations.
- Messner's standoff scene with Georgia in the stairwell was reportedly challenging to film due to the tight space and complex choreography.
- The scene where Messner lets Georgia and Ivy escape was filmed multiple times to capture the emotional weight of his decision.