Review of Tower Heist (2011) by Austin V — 20 Apr 2013

Tower Heist is a film that I can see being considered a classic 20 years from now. Think of it as Ocean's Eleven meets 90's comedy, and this is the result. It's a fun caper movie that had me laughing out loud a few times.

Ben Stiller (in his best performance since 1995's Heavyweights) stars as Josh Kovacs, the manager of The Tower, a luxurious New York City living complex. Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), a resident of The Tower and financial giant, is arrested for cleaning out investors for two billion dollars. Kovacs and many other building staffers had entrusted Shaw with their retirement funds, and are devastated when they find out about his scheme. Kovacs convinces a group of fired employees, a former resident (Matthew Broderick) and a street thief (Eddie Murphy) to steal Shaw's hidden money safety net from his penthouse apartment.

There's something about the New York City vibe of this movie that just makes it really enjoyable. It's not that it's particularly hilarious, but it is funny and features an all-star cast. Hats off to Eddie Murphy, who seemed to be a bit rejuvenated and was actually funny for this first time in...well, forever. Everyone was really good though, even Gabourey Sidibe (who I thought was going to be absolutely terrible). There's a nice, fun feeling to this movie, and eventually I think it will gain the recognition it deserves. 4 stars.