Heist Adventure

Rating: 5/10 (9 June 2003)

While it was a fairly typical heist movie, this film was more in the adventure category to me than action. Its lack of cursing, violence, and sex in some ways was refreshing, but on the other hand it did lose some of the grittiness of a movie about lowlifes. I'm not saying that there needs to be another movie in which everyone betrays each other and ends up dead, but rather that the honor among thieves theme may have been pushed too far in this movie.
The energetic and enjoyable score and the cool but entirely unartistic camera work help to give the movie some of its character. The acting was fine, with nobody particularly memorable and without much opportunity for good acting; despite this, the characters' individual talents were fun throughout the film. Two static but still entertaining characters are "Napster" (who's funny) and Handsome Rob (who's just sweet). The plot is utterly predictable in every way; they made no attempt to disguise Steve's betrayal at the beginning (even though I'm informed that the previews showed this--never watch TV). Neither was there any doubt over whether Stella would help them. As a result many of the early scenes were dry and cliché.
The action scenes are typical, but typically entertaining. I was impressed by the fact that they made those stupid looking minicoopers semi-cool, and the final elaborate plan unfolds rather well. If you're into heists or cool non-violent action but you don't mind a Deus ex Machina, a trite plot, and an unmemorable cast, this is one for you. I should mention that for reasons entirely unfathomable to me, my female friends seem to be of the ludicrous consensus that Ed Norton and Mark Wahlberg are hot (never mentioning Jason Statham whose coolness boosts him far above them IMO), so if you're one of those kind of people that might make the film better for you. [5/10]