The Code - Vertraue keinem Dieb

While I can understand why talented actor Robert Forster (who looks somewhat ghastly here, like he's coming off a major illness) is appearing in a direct-to-video movie (at least in North America), I don't understand why Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas are doing in a direct-to-video movie. Surely they are still getting calls from major studios? Did they really need the money? Anyway, they bring their natural charisma to this movie... but not much more. Freeman doesn't seem to be trying very hard in his performance, and Banderas doesn't watch his accent, making some of the words he says hard to figure out.

The production values are mostly very decent, a trademark of direct-to-video kings Millennium/Nu Image Films. Although this set-in-New-York film was partially filmed in Bulgaria, it doesn't show. The only flaw in the production values was the CGI used in the subway sequences. It looks pretty cheesy.

The heist central to this movie has some tension, but I found it hard to get involved. For one thing, many of the steps the Freeman and Banderas characters use to foil the various security measures are never fully explained to the audience. Even worse is that it's implied that this heist was planned in JUST A FEW DAYS! Seeming all these security measures they have to conquer, it would really take weeks, even months to plan! The movie is never really boring, but in the first half of the movie you can kind of guess what will happen in the next scene. There are twists towards the end, but they are expected, as in other caper movies like this one. Such twists happening are no longer a surprise. Plus, as they start to unfold, you will start to guess just what new twists will happen.

Wait until it comes on cable... on a rainy day... when there's absolutely nothing else to do or watch.

"The Code" or "Thick as Thieves" as it is called is a 2009 film starring Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Radha Mitchell, and Robert Forrester.

The story concerns a slippery thief, Keith Ripley (Freeman), who teams up with a thief from Miami, Gabriel (Banderas) to steal antique Faberge eggs that are kept in a vault surrounded by huge security trappings at a jewelry store named Romanov's.

Ripley needs to do the theft as a debt payment for his late brother, who was mixed up with a Russian mobster. He wants the eggs, and he's determined to get them. They are being watched by Lieutenant Weber, who has been trying to get Ripley for years.

Freeman and Banderas didn't have much chemistry, and Freeman, of course, is capable of roles having much more depth. So both kind of glided along, Banderas using his charm, and Freeman his geniality.

Derivative story with a couple of twists. A decent rental.

What no comments, no rating, no release date?!! This is what I first thought when looking at the IMDb page for this movie, "how can it be possible, a movie released here in Taiwan but not in America?!"

First off I had trouble finding this movie on IMDb since the English title given in Taiwan is The Code", where as according to IMDb its "Thick as Thieves"

I didn't know what to expect when entering this movie as I hadn't read a million posts on IMDb saying how its amazing and the others saying it should be the 2nd thing on your list to do after suicide.

It's pretty much your average bank heist movie, the story is based around a job which is utterly impossible unless you have amazing tools and gadgets which probably take longer to create than the whole security system of the bank they're planning to hit. The story moves along nicely, it has a few short moments where it seems to drift away from the main plot but it doesn't distract you from the main track. The acting by Freeman is his usual really, the more experienced and wiser man who once again does a decent job. The young rookie crook role goes to Banderas who generally does a good job but in the early stages of the movie just doesn't look right. The young rookie is the same as most the young cocky rookie's you see in most movies, unfortunately a middle aged man making wise cracks just doesn't look right on screen.

Like you'd expect there's a surprise ending which isn't so easy to figure out, or when you think you've figured it out you still end up being wrong. It's what you'd expect from a heist movie and it certainly doesn't disappoint. The directing is nothing special, it just seems like standard Hollywood movie making with nothing really standing out as being special. The dialogue is nothing flash, its normal dialogue with very little standout lines. The performances are once again nothing stand out, all the actors do a decent job in this movie but nothing worthy of an Oscar.

Overall this isn't a super awesome big time blockbuster, its an OK piece of cinema which is sure to entertain you but its not going to have you shouting from the roof tops

To be honest I expected a lot more from this film, with Morgan Freeman, a veteran movie maker. However I was a little shocked at the lack of action in this movie.

Yes it was full of faces you may recognise from other movies but to be honest that's about where it leaves you. There were no amazing car chases, not enough action etc.

About the only half decent thing in this movie was the seriously slow unwinding plot twist.

Not a great movie overall, not one I would consider watching again. I guess Morgan is getting on a bit, maybe that attributed to the lack of "things"?

Well, this is a movie to watch for fun, when your favorite stars are in. Nothing special or amazing. Just the usual stuff, even the greatest twists are predictable from the beginning.