A good movie, but it should have been better

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2006)

Because this is directed by Spike Lee, this should have been a better movie. As it stands, it is a good movie with an above-average plot that doesn't quite deliver. It could have delivered, but the screenplay reveals things in places it shouldn't reveal them and takes too long to reach its ending.
However, with that said, I must say I liked the movie. The performances are great- Denzel Washington is snappy and intense in a role that requires little real acting but must have been great fun to play. He's a jerk with a big heart and brain, and you can tell Washington loves being this kind of guy. Clive Owen is appropriately firm and angry in his role as the bank's main robber, and Jodie Foster is terse and sarcastic. You never know quite who she is, which I suppose is the point.
It's a very thrilling movie with some intense action sequences and some scenes that are just plain brilliant. A scene where Clive Owen's character and a kid discuss the kid's video game is so true, as is the scene where the Sikh is mistaken for an Arab. The flash-forwards to interrogations of everyone at the crime scene are helpful and allow some character to show through.
All in all, the movie was entertaining but not as complete as it could have been. I like it though, and I definitely recommend it.