“The guard” has a weak plot and often resorts to stereotypes in order to get some laughs. It is unclear whether it was meant to be a comedy or a police drama/action film. The one thing that is quite evident to me is the wasted talent in this movie.

If you can stomach listening to the "F" word every 5 seconds, then this movie is for you. I wonder if the writers of the script were challenged by the "English" vocabulary. I couldn't get past the expletives, which I know is like background noise & so very common place today but like I said, if you can stomach it & it doesn't grate your nerves like it did mine...then knock yourself out. Don Cheadle has done way better movies than this. I won't even give it 1 star.

Gleeson's character is delightful. Unpredictable and intellectual, hidden in a rough red neck country bumpkin cop melange. He knows how to pick his roles. Keeps you wondering what he;s gonna say next. I really loved this movie.

mmmm

It felt like I was watching a cohen brothers film at times with the quirky characters & odd plot. That would be a compliment by the way in this enjoyable film. The Guard is worth a watch. Brendan Gleeson turns in a great performance as the guard, a quirky outspoken, go it alone type who really is a joy of a character to watch. Don Cheadle plays straight man to Gleeson's odd & often off putting small town cop character. The story is somewhat predicatable but that's OK when you enjoy the ride as you likley will do in this gem of a movie.

This movie was entertaining and interesting but not one of my favorite for this year. “Not too bad---good performance”. "I fast forwarded a lot but not all the way.”

Such fun. Wonderfully Irish.

Very funny movie. The two lead actors are superb.

A safe bet is that if you like foreign dark comedy/caper movies like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch or Layer Cake you might like like this. Not as good in any particular way as the previously mentioned films, but similar. The ending came as a real surprise and there are scenes of interesting dialogue and action. I didn't love it, but I was entertained. Really made me think back on what I had watched after the ending happened the way it did.

This movie is a gem. Why it did not recieve a wider "must see this" from american critics is beyond me. I never heard of Brendan Gleeson until I heard him promote the movie on Fresh Air. He is a wonderful actor. He is perfect for this role. Don Cheadle's performance made me want to take acting lessons. This movie is just a beautiful twist on cop movies with underlying issues on small country living. I recommend that you check out the Special Features. They enhance the beauty of this film.