Movie Review: Takers (2010)
Spoilers: none
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Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Matt Dilon, and NYPD Blue's Nicholas Turturro star in the potentially promising but found-to-be problematic, Takers.
After a successful string of high-end bank robberies, Detective Jack Welles (Dilon) is hot on the trail of a hardened group of high-rolling thieves, who act on a tip from the just-out-of-prison and former member of their team, Ghost (Tip T.I. Harris) to take out two armored trucks for $20 million dollars.
This fast-paced, bullet-blazing tale of double-crossing bad guys and determined-but-distracted cops working late to anticipate their next move is endowed with a well-chosen cast, but set back mainly by some underwhelming performances and some poorly chosen Russian mobster stand-ins.
Don't expect anything other than rather narrow drama, with gruff, low profile voices to go along with the banter between tough guys about family struggles. A few parts of the dialog sound like something from the 1990s, but the action is consistently hardcore, as are the criminals, in what could have been a great film that (as it stands) will do a good job winning over most audiences.
There is no real foundation laid or explanation as to why people are on the sides of the law they are on, which makes one less anxious to root for the good guys or the bad. Takers has an exuberant plot that deserved more emotional reinforcing than it received.
Takes is a flick that won't get – and doesn't deserve – a sequel, but will have its own share of admirers for perhaps some of the best foot and vehicle pursuits on film, not to mention the unleashing of an awful lot of impressive firepower.
(JH)
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Grade: B- (3 stars)
Rated: PG-13 (for harsh language and extended scenes of violence)
Director: John Luessenhop
Summary: A group of bank robbers find their $20 million plan interrupted by a hard-boiled detective.
Starring: Chris Brown "Jesse Attica," Hayden Christensen "A.J.," Matt Dillon "Jack Welles," Michael Ealy "Jake Attica," Idris Elba "Gordon Jennings," Steve Harris "Lt. Carver," T.I. "Ghost," Jay Hernandez "Eddie Hatcher," Zoe Saldana "Rachel Jansen," Johnathon Schaech "Scott," Paul Walker "John Rahway," Marianne Jean-Baptiste "Naomi"
Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller
Trailer
Spoilers: none
---
Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Matt Dilon, and NYPD Blue's Nicholas Turturro star in the potentially promising but found-to-be problematic, Takers.
After a successful string of high-end bank robberies, Detective Jack Welles (Dilon) is hot on the trail of a hardened group of high-rolling thieves, who act on a tip from the just-out-of-prison and former member of their team, Ghost (Tip T.I. Harris) to take out two armored trucks for $20 million dollars.
This fast-paced, bullet-blazing tale of double-crossing bad guys and determined-but-distracted cops working late to anticipate their next move is endowed with a well-chosen cast, but set back mainly by some underwhelming performances and some poorly chosen Russian mobster stand-ins.
Don't expect anything other than rather narrow drama, with gruff, low profile voices to go along with the banter between tough guys about family struggles. A few parts of the dialog sound like something from the 1990s, but the action is consistently hardcore, as are the criminals, in what could have been a great film that (as it stands) will do a good job winning over most audiences.
There is no real foundation laid or explanation as to why people are on the sides of the law they are on, which makes one less anxious to root for the good guys or the bad. Takers has an exuberant plot that deserved more emotional reinforcing than it received.
Takes is a flick that won't get – and doesn't deserve – a sequel, but will have its own share of admirers for perhaps some of the best foot and vehicle pursuits on film, not to mention the unleashing of an awful lot of impressive firepower.
(JH)
---
Grade: B- (3 stars)
Rated: PG-13 (for harsh language and extended scenes of violence)
Director: John Luessenhop
Summary: A group of bank robbers find their $20 million plan interrupted by a hard-boiled detective.
Starring: Chris Brown "Jesse Attica," Hayden Christensen "A.J.," Matt Dillon "Jack Welles," Michael Ealy "Jake Attica," Idris Elba "Gordon Jennings," Steve Harris "Lt. Carver," T.I. "Ghost," Jay Hernandez "Eddie Hatcher," Zoe Saldana "Rachel Jansen," Johnathon Schaech "Scott," Paul Walker "John Rahway," Marianne Jean-Baptiste "Naomi"
Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller
Trailer
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