Movie Review: The Bank Job
Quick Overview: Well...I'm told they....rob a bank? It's actually a little more complicated than that, but if you can read the title, you have a pretty good idea what this movie is about.
Plot: A-
The interesting thing about this movie is that it is based on (to use the words of the film studio) the "most infamous bank robbery in history." The fact that this is based on a true story definitely adds a bit of intrigue and mystique to the experience. It did lose some points in my book though, for the following reasons. First, the story probably had at least a little gussying up, in more ways that one. The people who probably actually pulled the job weren't so "pretty." It seems doubtful that someone as "cool" as Jason Statham would be robbing banks. Some of the plot devices just seemed "too perfect" to match exactly what happened. The other thing that bothered me about the plot was that certain characters seemed to die somewhat arbitrarily. I won't go into detail so as not to spoil anything, and I can appreciate their adherence to "historical accuracy," but the sudden deaths just seemed unnecessary. I wouldn't exactly say that this movie has a "twist ending," but it is certainly interesting enough to sit and watch all the way through. Ultimately, when the movie is finished, there are no lose ends to tie up, no questions left unanswered...and that's a good thing, in my opinion.
Visuals: B
It should be noted that this movie is set in the 1970s. As a result, there are no special effects. They are instead substituted for a gritty realism. It should be noted that this movie is not the typical Jason Statham action flick. There are no crazy flying-spinning-car bomb-disarmaments (a la The Transporter) or over-the-top ass kicking (a la Crank). Everything adhered strictly to reality, and that disappointed me. The biggest ass-kicking happens at the end of the movie, and its hardly on the level of the aforementioned movies. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, but if you are expecting something similar to Shoot 'Em Up, you are going to the wrong movie. There is one other thing I should point out about the visuals. This movie includes both breast-shots and intermittent violence. It's not a porn (there's only one short, tame sex scene in the whole movie), and it's not anything akin to "Saw," but it can get a little hairy at times. This might not be the best movie to take your girlfriend to (especially if you are on a first date), if she's easily offended by those sorts of things.
Music: C
I gave the music a C because it seemed entirely average. Nothing stood out to me as great or terrible. For better of for worse, there was very little "70s" music throughout the entire movie. One of the complaints I might level at this movie is that it doesn't really seem to capture a "70s" vibe. More specifically, aside from things like HAMM radios and the automobiles, the movie could have almost been set in present day. Ultimately, this is a rather minor complaint, because I think I can safely say that no one reading this post is going to see this movie because of its "groovy 70s vibe." Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong with a comment or reply.
Overall (Not An Average): B/B+
It's a satisfying movie that delivers. I wouldn't call it a "fresh take" on the robbery thriller, but it's still definitely worth seeing. You might not get edge-of-your-seat adrenaline rushes like some other action movies, but this one seems to have the right mixture of style, substance, and plot to make it worth the price of admission. You might not feel like a kung-fu bad ass when the credits start rolling, but you will have had 2 solid hours of entertainment.
Trailer:
