Product Description

Tom Hardy, Antonio Banderas, Robert Forster, Morgan Freeman, Radha MitchellDirector: Mimi Leder

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11188 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Thriller
• Released on: 2009-02-16
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 103 minutes

Synopsis
From Mimi Leder—director of THE PEACEMAKER and DEEP IMPACT—comes this tense thriller in which an established, career criminal enlists a younger accomplice in order to pull off the elusive, 'one last job'. Morgan Freeman (MILLION DOLLAR BABY, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION), Antonio Banderas (THE MASK OF ZORRO, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO) and Radha Mitchell (MAN ON FIRE, PITCH BLACK) lead a cast of familiar faces.

Customer Reviews

"Some People Were Born To Write Songs...I Was Born To Steal..."
This is a strange one. The cast is admirable enough, the story is very clever in parts and the director an experienced professional who has delivered very good movies before - yet somehow, "Thick As Thieves" just doesn't work.

The idea on paper of Banderas and Freeman working together is probably what got this made - the reality of it is that there's very little chemistry between them - they come across as misfits instead of matches.

It does work between Banderas and the lovely/sexy Radha Mitchell and its also fab to see Robert Forster in any movie. But when you think of the sheer electricity that Freeman and Jack Nicholson generated in "The Bucket List", you realise that there's something's seriously amiss here. It's also known as "The Code" in the States - and you know you're in trouble when they can't even settle on a name...

The Blu Ray picture is exceptional in places (when Freeman and Banderas plan the heist in the bar - close up on their faces), but only OK in other places (the NYPD reception in the jewellers). There's a "Making Of" that consists of the crew shooting segments (mostly outdoors) where Freeman looks bored all the time and Banderas gets eyed up by everyone - there's also a few cast interviews that are OK, but hardly great.

Three stars. A rental I'm afraid.

Middling heist movie which is fun, if a little silly
Although Morgan Freeman works hard and is supported by a passable performance by Antonio Banderas (along with an unhappy looking Robert Forster), he is unable to rescue this film entirely from it's daft script and poor directing. Although it is quite an enjoyable story, any viewer will be constantly groaning as they watch.

For starters are the empty threats Freeman often makes to Banderas not to engage in any romantic shenanigans with his god-daughter (Radha Mitchell). Whether he finds them talking in the street, drinking in a nightclub, or even in bed together, he just repeats his stern warning. Talk about having a bark worse than your bite. Then there's the nightclub frequented by the film's characters; while the same Tatu song appears to be played endlessly, Radha seduces Antonio with her dancing. She looks like a aged, drunken aunt at a family wedding, and is just as sexy - Uma Thurman she ain't. Next there are problems with the heist itself, we are led to believe it was meticulously planned, but it seems to rely on an awful lot of luck; one particular problem with a voice activated security device is overcome with one of the most lazy plot devices I can remember. Finally, the ending is particularly clumsy; the tie-ups for the twists don't work, and when you think the film IS finally finished, were back to the nightclub to listen to Tatu again! References in the movie to heist classics such as Topkapi don't help either.

Good points? well, it is still an entertaining story which does manage to conjure up some excitement in a couple of scenes, and Morgan Freeman's performance is still strong; even though he never does actually tear Banderas a new one for messing with his god-daughter, you always believe he will.

The Blu-Ray presentation is also a little disappointing ; although the image quality is superb, the sound is only DD 5.1, and for a modern Blu-Ray release that's not good enough.