Stars Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes with Katherine Waterston and Daniel Craig Directed by Steven Soderbergh Steven Soderbergh returns to the big screen with another heist film that crackles with some great performances from unexpected places, particularly one James Bond in particular, Daniel Craig. While the first half - that being the set-up - leaves something a little more to be desired given its pacing of going through the motions to set things up, the pay off is tons of fun once the heist gets going. It starts when Jimmy (Channing Tatum) loses his job due to the company’s fear of liability, and his ex-wife (Katie Holmes) informs him her new husband will be shifting his business to another state. It means he’ll see less of his daughter, Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie), but getting a lawyer to fight this would mean having money he doesn’t have. He ropes in his brother Clyde (Adam Driver) into a plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway with the assistance of the incarcerated Joe Bang (Daniel Craig). While Bang points out that neither Jimmy nor Clyde appear to have the intelligence to actually pull off a heist, the plan seems simple enough to execute with some additional assistance. Of course you want to root for this bunch of misfits and oddballs thrown together with a few additional peripheral characters there (Seth McFarlane, Sebastian Stan, Katherine Waterston) to muddy the waters. The performances are solid with barely a bum note with Craig (being ‘introduced’ in the credits) showing off some remarkable comic timing and snarky tones, an utter far cry from the suave James Bond he’s probably become known for. Seth MacFarlane also shines through the crazy wig and moustache, continuing to prove he’s more than the voices of his cartoon characters (not that many take him that seriously; just look at the critical reviews of his new TV show, The Orville). Soderbergh handles everything else as deftly as he’s done, from the family drama to the little quirky bits of humour peppered throughout the movie, keeping the pace moving along and not letting it dwell too long on the maudlin. The entertainment level is high and the payoff is quite satisfying for this kind of heist, even when the Soderbergh brings in another major star at the last minute for the inevitable final act investigation bit. For some, it may not be the action-packed robbery one might desire, but this is very much what one would expect from Soderbergh and his stars, pure and solid entertainment. Rating: ***1/2 / 5 Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here. Please Support.
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