TWO FOR THE MONEY — ** — Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, Rene Russo; rated R (profanity, drugs, vulgarity, violence, sex, brief partial nudity); see Page W2 for theaters.

What "Two for the Money" has to offer is the same performance Al Pacino has been giving for the past several years, at least since his Academy Award for "Scene of a Woman" in 1992.

Of course the veteran actor's blustery, hammy, scenery-chewing is still watchable. In fact, it's really the one watchable thing about this silly dramatic thriller, which borrows from both Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" and the supernatural legal yarn "The Devil's Advocate," which featured another over-the-top Pacino performance.

Otherwise, "Two for the Money" is ludicrous and lackluster — and worse, the filmmakers try to have co-star Matthew McConaughey match Pacino's intensity. The laid-back Texan simply can't do that, and he is blown away by the cinematic force of nature that is Pacino.

McConaughey stars as Brandon Lang, a once-promising football player who's been stuck in a series of dead-end jobs after an injury ended his hopes of a professional sports career. Eventually, Brandon winds up making sports predictions for a 1-900 line, which is how Walter Abrams (Pacino) finds him. Walter runs the most profitable sporting "tout" in the country (his company supposedly provides sure-fire picks for gamblers), and he's looking to recruit some new blood.

So he brings Brandon, who's been nearly perfect with his picks, into the fold. Walter even goes so far as to create a new persona for his protege, as cocky "John Anthony." However, as Brandon/John's success grows, so does his ego. And eventually the two men come to blows about the business, as well as Walter's neglected wife Toni (Rene Russo).

There is nothing really new here, and director D.J. Caruso ("Taking Lives") doesn't do much with the material or the talented supporting cast — which includes the usually amusing Jeremy Piven, who's stuck in a go-nowhere role as a co-worker who is jealous of Brandon's newfound status.

The one thing the film does have going for it is Pacino. But only his most die-hard fans will want to stick it out.

"Two for the Money" is rated R for pervasive use of strong sexual profanity, drug content (including prescription drug use and some references), use of crude slang terms and some sex talk, some brief violence (sports-related, as well as a violent restraint), simulated sex and brief partial female nudity. Running time: 122 minutes.

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