Heist

The Thomas Crown Affair

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
  • IMDb: link

1999’s remake of the 1968 film about a multi-million dollar heist is certain an improvement on the original trading in a lackluster bank heist for stylish museum thefts of fine art. Casting Pierce Brosnan is the middle of his James Bond run as the bored rich man who steals art for his own amusement, the film never hits the Ocean’s 11 level of cool but it certainly has some cachet. Opposite our thief we get Rene Russo as the insurance investigator suspicious of Thomas Crown who also starts dating him (first for access but later feelings do develop as the pair consistently trade barbs).

…

The Thomas Crown AffairRead More »

The Thomas Crown Affair Read More »

Play Dirty

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Play Dirty
  • IMDb: link

A less successful adaptation of the Parker novels than that of Jason Statham (there’s a sentence you don’t hear often), Mark Wahlberg stars in what is easily the worst, and most bland, Shane Black movie ever made. After a heist gone wrong, Parker (Wahlberg) works with the duplicitous Zen (Rosa Salazar) on an even larger heist which will pit him against his old enemy Lozini (Tony Shalhoub) and the Outfit.

…

Play DirtyRead More »

Play Dirty Read More »

The Pickup

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Pickup
  • IMDb: link

I love of a good heist movie. The Pickup is not a good heist movie. It’s generous to call The Pickup a film at all. The braindead comedy features Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as armored car guards who get targeted in convoluted scheme by a beautiful young woman (Keke Palmer) with a sob story and a pair of goons (Jack Kesy and Ismael Cruz Cordova). There’s almost nothing believable about the script by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider and less likable about the movie. 

…

The PickupRead More »

The Pickup Read More »

Americana

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Americana
  • IMDb: link

Set up as a number of interlocking stories all centered around an expensive rare Native American ghost shirt and the desperately stupid people who want it, writer/director Tony Tost‘s Americana is an interesting exercise even if it doesn’t all quite fit together such as the extended lull in the backstabbing Mandy Starr (Halsey) returning home. The highlights here are Sydney Sweeney as stuttering waitress Penny Jo (although the controversy of her American Eagle ad isn’t likely to help the small independent film at the box office), Paul Walter Hauser as the lonely cowboy, and young Gavin Maddox Bergman as a mixed up kid who has watched too many cowboy movies claiming he is the reincarnation of Sitting Bull. As ridiculous and culturally inappropriate as he is, the kid proves surprisingly good with a bow and arrow.

…

AmericanaRead More »

Americana Read More »

Ironheart – We in Danger, Girl / Bad Magic

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Ironheart – We in Danger, Girl / Bad Magic
  • wiki: link | link

“We in Danger, Girl” and “Bad Magic” are where Riri Williams‘ (Dominique Thorne) life takes a turn. More interested in investigating the Hood‘s (Anthony Ramos) than doing her part in the next heist, for no real reason other than curiosity, Riri nearly botches another robbery and her actions not only cause to be killed (Manny Montana) but also throw the life of Joe (Alden Ehrenreich), who it turns out isn’t really Joe, into chaos allowing the Hood to recruit him as well. The two episode arc is all about bad decisions and regret and Riri creating a number of enemies who now want her dead. Of course what this means is that Riri doesn’t get to make a hero turn but will be forced into becoming on due the fallout of her own actions.  That’s not the most intriguing hero’s journey.

…

Ironheart – We in Danger, Girl / Bad MagicRead More »

Ironheart – We in Danger, Girl / Bad Magic Read More »