Review of Heist (2015) by Maksim B — 06 Dec 2015

A mildly entertaining and overwhelmingly generic action thriller, Heist offers an intriguing concept but disappoints with mediocre execution. A movie with two different faces, the first part offers a compelling beginning which even surprises for that type of B-movie. Unfortunately, the second half of it is totally disappointing and could only be described as a shallow, sentimental and awfully unrealistic and predictable development of the story.

Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), an ex-military guy who works in the casino of the local kingpin Pope (Robert De Niro), is left without options when Pope denies him a loan which is so badly needed to heal Vaughn's daughter. This forces the ex-military to team up with one of the casino's security guys and to organize a heist. When things go wrong, the team that robbed the casino finds itself on a bus with passenger and all the police chasing them.

Even though the start of story seems kind of predictable, there is a concept difference as the team that makes the heist consists of guys who actually are not a team (Vaughn having his own interest). With different agendas all involved on the bus and in the chase have to find their own way out of this messy situation. Pacing goes fine, acting is at so-so level and everything is relatively passable until the moment when director Scott Mann decides to take a direction which almost destroys all the positives elements gained in the first half of the movie. Since I would not like to spoil it for you, I would only say that the twists are mediocre ones and will just evoke reaction of "being there, seen that" and in the end Heist finishes up as a movie that is quickly forgotten short after the final credits. Watchable at home, but completely forgettable.