The Clean Up Crew

Greetings again from the darkness. Even before the opening credits roll, we get a scene with gunpoint humor, as Antonio Banderas skips right over 'chewing scenery' and dives into devouring the scene. Banderas takes his crime lord Gabriel over-the-top, quoting Machiavelli, so that we understand we are in for an action-crime-comedy. Directed by Jon Keeyes and written by Matthew Rogers, some of it works and some of it doesn't.

When the goal is strictly entertainment, a film should be judged accordingly, especially when it's made under a limited budget. Three years after that opening scene, Gabriel is late on his payoff to the corrupt cops who protect his illegal business ventures, and soon enough, he discovers that a couple of over-zealous thugs have stolen (or at least tried to steal) his money. The case filled with cash is stuffed in the chimney before our next shootout, which occurs in a dark room, creating pretty cool effects.

Siobhan (Oscar winner Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER, 2010) owns Good Life Cleaners, a crime scene cleaning company. Her crew consists of Alex (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, MATCH POINT, 2005), his girlfriend Meagan (Ekaterina Baker, THE CARD COUNTER, 2021), and Chuck (Swen Temmel, AMERICAN TRAITOR: THE TRIAL OF AXIS SALLY, 2021). When they discover the money, skittish Alex wants to turn it in. Meagan wants to keep it for their future. Siobhan and Chuck have their own secrets as she tries to keep the drug-addicted former military man on the right path.

Things really spiral once this crew begins debating what to do with the money and realizing that The Commission (Gabriel's organization) is pursuing them. Meagan gets taken hostage, setting off a wild chain of events - most of which feature violent shootouts. In addition to Machiavelli quotes, Gabriel is also a fan of playing Russian roulette with his big, shiny pistol, and yelling at his crew to get his money back. It seems that Banderas and Meyers are the leads, but Temmel's Chuck, a one-man wrecking crew, is the more intriguing character, and it's a shame that Melissa Leo is mostly wasted, if not miscast here.

There is a sense that director Keeyes was going for a Guy Ritchie-type experience, however, the dialogue is never quite crackling enough for that level. The action has a bit of FREE FIRE (2016) feel to it, but again, not quite at that level. For one that's entertaining enough to sit through, but also allows time to scroll on your phone, this one delivers.

Available on Digital and On Demand beginning August 20, 2024.

Your classic too-much-action comedy movie Nothing new A simple story that doesn't need this much time to end They could've taken half of the time and it would have been just fine to get done with the story They should have made it a little more serious to attract more attention Or at least make it funnier But a little bit of both makes it boring

Otherwise, it's like the movie (bullet train) but cheaper

Bty, Those kinds of movies portrayed as black comedy are getting out of hand First, it started with the director of The Grand Budapest Hotel Wesley Anderson who made a great comedy with a little suspense then when he succeeded all other directors tried to copy it but most of the films came out like this one

I think this genre should be banned for anyone but him.

Despite having a seemingly solid cast, the end result of this film isn't anything special as the finish product comes off as an over the top action comedy trying too hard to be style over substance and too hard on being witty or funny but it simply isn't interesting. This is apparently a British film and the humor here just isn't funny. The plot isn't exactly anything to fully invest in and at times was rather confusing. There was a few solid action shot gun sequences but overall things felt a little too cartoonish and unrealistic. In the end it's simply a run of the mill action comedy without much interest.

Ok we all know what this movie would like to be and we all can agree it just didnt had the muscles or brain to be that

But right know the points on imdb is like 4,2 and thats not fair either, atleast Ive seen so much worse than this and even guy Ritchie have failed more than this drivel, this movie is just ok. The story is absolute trash and Im not sure if I want to call it a comedy but it was giving me a good time and the acting was total ok so its not that bad as many people say it is

But I dont want to watch it again, once was enough.

Awful acting, boring script - felt like a second rate Guy Ritchie movie - aiming to be a British crime movie but full.of Irish characters. It's his fault, he started this confusing genre.

This movie pushes the boundaries of how much of a diabolical script can sound funny if spoken in an Irish accent - the answer, not very much of it.

I found myself scrolling on my phone several times throughout the movie. There was no plot interesting enough to drag me back.

Believe me, this movie is terrible - don't waste your money and an hour and a half of your life.

Is this the end of good old British crime dramas, made in the UK and starring accomplished British actors? - Unfortunately it seems so and it really doesn't work.