Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7297 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-05-20
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 123 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Director Barry Levinson's eclectic film career has always been distinguished by quality scriptwriting, and Bandits is no exception, thanks to Harley Peyton's clever contribution. At the heart of the story is the onscreen chemistry between Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton, who, as the most successful bank robbers in US history, win the affections of the nation. The story is told via various flashback methods, such as the narration of a newscaster who gets an exclusive interview, while a framing device teases the audience with what the end will be at the start. But all is not as it seems. The impulsive hothead Willis falls easily for fiery redhead and frustrated housewife Cate Blanchett. The attraction is perfectly mutual until she realises the sweet appeal of hypochondriac Thornton. The resulting love triangle may not immediately seem to add up, especially as the romantic focus really ought to be on Willis' goofy cousin Harvey (a sensational Troy Garity) who dreams of being a stuntman. Originally Bandits was meant to be an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel, but here the tone is significantly lightened and the "Sleepover Bandits" are far more sympathetic characters than the likes of George Clooney's thief in Out of Sight. There's a kicker of a feel-good finale, too.

On the DVD: Bandits on disc has an alternative and even sweeter ending, complete with commentary from Blanchett entitled "Who's the Dad?". It's one of five deleted scenes that were presumably only cut for running time. Other extras include a "Script to Screen" workshop with Levinson, an ad for the soundtrack album and a 20-minute documentary. The real find, though, is a commentary from Willis, Thornton, Blanchett, Garity, Producer Paula Weinstein and Peyton. They may not all be in the same room, but the apportioning of anecdotes fits perfectly.--Paul Tonks

DVD Description
When a bored housewife (Blanchett) with a failing marriage decides to runaway, she ends up in the hands of two bank robbers who have escaped from prison. Initially attracted to Willis, she nonetheless also ends up in bed with Thornton and a confused romantic relationship begins.

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Featurette Inside Bandits
Script To Screen Workshop Creating Scene 71
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending With Audio Commentary By Cate Blanchett
Audio Commentary Featuring Bruce Willis Billy Bob Thornton Cate Blanchett Troy Gravity Producer Paula Weinstein Writer And Executive Producer Harley Peyton
Theatrical Trailer
Soundtrack Advertising Spot

Customer Reviews

worth watching
The double act of Willis and Thornton is a joy to watch, but Cate Blanchett is completely miscast, being too serious and intense an actor to do ditzy. The story meanders in the middle with the love triangle and I got bored enough to almost give up. Speaking as a woman, it's not really believeable that she would fall for both of them [or even one!]. Also unbelievable that no-one spotted the bandits before if they were so famous. But then the big scam at the end is wonderfully done, and I was fooled, so definitely worth watching.

These are no real bank robbers. Are they clowns?
That's not a film that will revolutionize the cinema industry and cinematographic art. Easy going remake of so many teams of famous bankrobbers or other thieves. The trick here is to make things that are so improbable that they necessarily succeed because no one is expecting such antics. This of course goes against the grain of modern policework based essentially on profiling. If thieves or criminals become unpredictable, hence impossible to profile, they will escape any attempt to arrest them. In other words this is the best pedagogical film for would-be criminals of the after profiling era. But that has already been done. The originality of this film is the general light tone that dominates all along. These bandits are entertining themselves in this boring life of theirs and they are entertaining us at the same time because bankrobbery is show bizz and nothing else. So let's take care of the audience and provide them with the highly original fun they are expecting.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Oh dear
This is a bad film. A very bad film. A film so bad it will probably force you to eat your sofa in a desperate search for entertainment.

And yet it starts fairly well. Billie Bob thornton and Bruce Willis on the run, turn to bank robbing, come up with scheme where they spend the night at the bank managers house before commiting the robbery. Not the best or funniest film ever, but OK entertainment.

And then they meet Cate Blanchett, and it all goes horribly wrong, as the film turns into the dullest romantic comedy ever seen on DVD. Ohhhh a crappy love triangle, how exiting. You forget about the fun start as it goes ooooooohhhh sssoooo ssssllllooooowwwwlllyy, and for what seems like hours the tedious drivel keeps on coming.

Admittedly the ending is quite clever, but by this time I'd started throwing things at the TV screen in frustration, so I didn't take much notice. Indeed, that was probably the best part of the film for me: when it ended.

To summarise: avoid.