It's been a long time since I've read "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" but I don't recall him being this dumb. Barney Fife had nothing on good old Tom, who was not only a clueless cop, but corrupt as well. The names from Mark Twain's classic novel come flooding back with characters like Huck Finn, Joe Harper and Injun Joe, as this retelling places the adventurous duo of Tom and Huck in a modern day setting and up to their necks in a passel of trouble. Huck Finn (Kyle Gallner) doubles as narrator, often interjecting his thoughts as the escapades Tom puts his 'Band of Robbers' through go awry more often than not. And though she's not given much to do, Becky Thatcher (Melissa Benoist) is a welcome addition to the cast, though one might expect her to be a little more proactive in keeping Tom on the straight and narrow. The classic hunt for Murrell's Treasure winds up successful, but one must engage in a healthy suspension of disbelief to accept the retrieval of a chest filled with gold coins from the mid 1800's. The film will have served it's purpose if it sets viewers off on a quest to read the original novel that inspired it. The closing credits offer a direct tribute to a classic scenario from Twain's story as Tom, now in prison, obviously hoodwinks fellow inmates to paint a security wall on his behalf.
Review of Band of Robbers
