Review of Tower Heist (2011) by Jc E — 18 Jun 2012

Brett Ratner (New York, I Love You) has got a bad rap ever since the director debacle with 'X-Men: The Last Stand'. However, he's not the directing pariah that every self-righteous critic who thinks the buck stops with their opinion thinks he is.

However, this movie doesn't really help his case. It's not really Ratner's fault though. The script isn't exactly thrilling and his cast doesn't really illicit good vibes. Look, Ben Stiller (Megamind), Eddie Murphy (Shrek Forever After), and Matthew Broderick (Election) have kind of worn out their welcome.

They had a few good movies, but they're pretty past their prime - especially Murphy. His character is so clichéd and annoying that any comedic value is cancelled out. The supporting cast, while not at all bad, is just better than this.

Casey Affleck (The Killer Inside Me), Tea Leoni (Ghost Town), Michael Pena (The Lincoln Lawyer), and Alan Alda ("30 Rock") can certainly do better, even though they bring some redeeming quality to the film.

When one of the more humorous performances is from Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), you know you're in trouble - though, she does have some comedic chops that she could flaunt in future endeavors. The script is just a weak take on the Bernie Madoff turn of events, which basically says anyone successful should be targeted.

It doesn't quite go that far, but it doesn't really point out that the events of the title are just as deplorable, despite the comedic potential. Regardless, it's a weak script with a lackluster lead cast, but Ratner tries to make the most of it.

He doesn't fully fail, but the result isn't as entertaining as one would hope.