Review of Tower Heist (2011) by Jeff L — 29 Aug 2012

I thought this was a good movie, filled with laughs. I only gave it three stars because this definitely had some components that did quite meld together. Ben Stiller as Josh Kovacs, a recently fired luxury condominium employee, hatches a Robin Hood'esque plot to steal from Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), portrayed as a modern Sheriff of Nottingham. With millions to be stolen on the line, Stiller and pals attempt to rob a safe from the penthouse suite, occupied by Shaw. With Stiller are his former coworkers who were fired too. The concierge and Stiller's brother-in-law Charlie (Casey Affleck), and a surprisingly weak performance from Matthew Broderick, who played a quirky former tenant. Eddie Murphy killed it, playing a hardened criminal from the streets. Tia Leoni looks really aged, her feeble attempts at acting hard to take her serious at all.

There were multiple "gaps" in the movie where the plot would jump from scene to another scene, leaving key events unexplained. Perhaps it was just easier for the director this way. Didn't quite know how to "pull it together". Perhaps I'm just too picky. Either way it was still worth the Red-box trip.