Heist

Throw together a few bad-ass looking guys and you get a bad-ass movie? If only directing was that simple. This reeks direct to DVD; bad acting with little or no coherent dialogue, bad lighting with the classic 2008 fake lens flare, zero character development etc. The list goes on. These days Hollywood movies are sadly relying on statistics, stitching together parts and dialogue from films that once did well. De Niro hits rock bottom of wooden acting smoking Vapes whilst lecturing a millennial how in the future no one will know what a real cigarette tasted like. ZZzzzz. This film is the reason why people pirate movies. Period. Times is money, and you're about to loose some.

Great performances performances by DeNiro, Morgan and Bautista.

I feel some parts needed a little more 'oomph' as it felt dragged out a bit - a directing issue perhaps, by novice director Scott Mann, but forgivable seeing this was his 2nd full length feature film.

The screenplay could've used some tweaking, but the story itself was great - both by novice writer Stephen C. Sepher.

I just wish I heard less of the overbearing constant score that needed to be toned down, but otherwise, an enjoyable crime drama - a gangster film with heart, and a well deserved 8/10 from me

The formula could not have been more stereotyped: An ex-criminal (played by Jeffery Dean Morgan) gets his life together for his daughter who needs a quarter of a million dollar surgery. He ask his boss(played by Robert De Niro). His boss not only says no but fires him, leaving the ex-con no choice but to go back to his old ways and steel from his boss with the help of an inside man(played by Dave Bautista). The perfect plan goes horribly wrong and now they are being chased by a sympathetic, cop (played by Gina Carano).

It's a plot done a million times, but I have to admit, the characters on the screen are a little more in depth than you'd usually have in such an action thriller. Does not hurt that the characters were performed well by some decent talent. Even De Niro gave a good performance, as he usually phones in these "for the pay check" rolls, but he made me feel something for the character he plays. Though Bautista still needs some work on the dramatic stuff, Jeffery Dean Morgan has the charisma to keep you interested, and a nod to Morris Chestnut, who did put a nice twist on the henchmen concept he played.

So it's like if you combined Heat and Speed and then watered it down a butch, but overall, it was a good crime drama to watch.

Just terrible. Avoid. Was a disgrace to previously well done thrillers that involved buses.

I am rating this movie for what it is, an action flick. This is not the archetypal Oscar selects we see, no deep exploration of the soul or clever vignettes about ordinary people in ordinary situations. This is an action flick.

In that context this movie check all right boxes. Cinematography: good, sound track: good, acting is..yes...its also good. But what makes this movie a 8/10 you may ask, why group this movie with so many other supposedly profound films? If you are willing to appreciate the action genre, i.o.w give this movie a fair shot you will judge it upon its ability to keep you thrilled and guessing (the holy grail of action movies). And this is where this movie succeeds.