The Hot Rock

Dortmunder (Robert Redford) just left prison and vows to not do another job. He's wrangled immediately by his sister's man Kelp (George Segal) to do a job. Dr. Amusa (Moses Gunn) is paying for the heist who claims the gem was stolen from the African people.

The heist isn't sophisticated. There is a lot of Keystone Cops elements in this movie. It's cute bordering on funny. Dortmunder's frustration with Kelp's constant prodding is kind of funny. George Segal, Robert Redford, Paul Sand, and Ron Leibman make for the perfect antidote to the Ocean's movies. These guys make up for the lack of cool with an abundance of bumbling determination. Zero Mostel makes an appearance as Paul Sand's lawyer father. He has a bit fun. The movie is a bit of fun action from the early 70s.

"The Hot Rock" is an unusual sort of caper film. In that, at times, the plot is a bit funny as well as ridiculous. Because of this, it stands out compared to the average crime film.

The story begins with Dortmunder (Robert Redford) getting out of prison. He is apparently a brilliant crook who has a habit of getting caught And, he's also learned nothing in the process as one of the first things he plans on doing is yet another robbery...this time with the help of his brother (George Segal) and a couple new guys (Rob Liebman and Paul Sand). What makes this robbery unusual at the beginning is that they are doing it for someone...a doctor who wants a diamond stolen because his country things it's theirs. But the robbery does NOT go as planned...and this sets up yet another crime...and another...and another. The problems keep snowballing...but Dortmunder is determined NOT to give up even when things seem hopeless.

The acting is very good in this one. Redford is fine....but the weird performances by Liebman, Sand and Zero Mostel really make this a quirky and enjoyable change of pace. Not a brilliant film but a very enjoyable one.

Okay okay, Westlake's novels are always much better than the respective movies (take for example "What's the Worst that Could Happen"), but I must admit that director Peter Yates did a really good job. Dortmunder (the author was inspired to this name by the German beer!) is not much like Donald Westlake's original in the Dortmunder books, along with some of the other characters. Redford is too handsome. George C. Scott in "Bank Shot" was much more Dortmunderish (Westlake's master-crook John Archibald Dortmunder is worn down and pessimistic), but in the "Hot Rock" movie Yates catches the 'Zeitgeist', or spirit of the times. And that's enough.

Brilliant: Quincy Jones' soundtrack (with Gerry Mulligan playing the sax).

I saw this film for the first time when I was a kid of about 4th grade age. It hooked me then and has stuck with me ever since as an enjoyable, fun, light caper movie. Granted it is not deep, serious or complicated. You do, however, "get your money's worth" because there is more than one caper that gets pulled for the good guys to finally come out ahead. If you are looking for fun adventure with the 70's charm and very little violence and virtually no adult language, give this movie a try.

This film is taken from one of a series of books by Donald E. Westlake about John Dortmunder & his various cronies who try to pull off big capers but never quite succeed. Anyone who likes this movie should try picking up the novel it's based on.

If, as other posters have written, Robert Redford has prevented release of this movie on video then that's a shame since this is a very funny & enjoyable crime caper film with some good actors & good New York City locations. Recently, it has been on Cinemax (which I don't have) a couple times so maybe that is a prelude to a future video re-release.