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Written by: Donald E. Westlake (book series "Parker" as Richard Stark), Shane Black & Chuck Mondry & Anthony Bagarozzi
(written by)
Directed by: Shane Black
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, Nat Wolff, Gretchen Mol, Thomas Jane, Tony Shaoloub
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A ruthless thief and his expert crew stumble onto the heist of a lifetime.
Verdict
It's a heist movie that relies on big explosions and action set pieces as there isn't much else to this. Anything that isn't an action sequence feels like it's biding time. Every interaction and the dialog is dialed up to seem cool and intense, but that instead makes it seem like the movie is trying too hard..The action sequences become monotonous as they seem to follow the same formula every time with each one more unbelievable and over the top than the last.
Skip it.
Review
This begins right in the middle of a robbery staged by Parker (Mark Wahlberg) and his crew. An employee stumbles upon the scene and uses the heist to his advantage, stealing the money Parker stole. This ends up being a chase during a horse race with cars hitting horses and jockeys. It's madness, but Parker is an honorable thief, paying off the girlfriend of the man that robbed him before taking back his stolen money.
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| Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield play Parker, Grofield |
Another shootout occurs, and this hasn't even gotten to the plot. It's a double cross, and that sets Parker on the course for revenge. He's quite renowned, so we're told. It's clear the movie wants to be cool, presenting a very stylized crime caper. Parker steals a first generation Camaro for no other reason that it's a cool car. He always has a one liner and comeback. None of the characters act like typical people. They act like they're in a movie with everything possessing a heightened level of importance. I'd like the movie more if it were humorous.
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| Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, LaKeith Stanfield, Mark Wahlberg play Zen, Ed, Grofield, Parker |
Parker seeks information on Zen (Rosa Salazar) who double crossed his team. While he gets information, it seems a bit flimsy. He ends up tracking her down and instead teams up with her for a huge heist. Money talks, and he doesn't hold a grudge as a general rule.
The heist gets moved up twenty-four hours. The team isn't quite ready, but they have to move quickly and get the job done if they plan to pull it off. Every action sequence feels over engineered and CGI heavy. There's no way some of these things would work out so precisely. Grofield (LaKeith Standfield) is barely missed being hit by a train car and then barely missed being hit by a car. I get the movie is stylized, but if that's the case it should be more fun and funny.
This reaches a point where I'm just surprised it's still going. It's car chases and big action set pieces with nothing to distinguish them other than the setting. Each one throws in some unsuspecting civilian caught in the middle. It's a lot of action but ultimately hollow. This can be a little too cute, and the movie is never as cool as it thinks it is. The movie doesn't have to be all explosions and action to have an impact, but this goes big every time and it feels like an over correction at the attempt of garnering interest.
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