After reading the reviews posted here, I had little hope of seeing a good movie, although the fact that the movie was playing at a "budget" theater was incentive enough for me to see it. I'm glad I went. Over the last couple of years, I've found that reviews on movies have become extremely undependable. It seems as though a lot of folks, who fancy themselves as reliable movie critics, have become quite snobbish in their reviews. It's so easy to be critical. Some critics like to feel that they are a step above the rest of us, and therefore more likely to understand how the movie should have been written, versus the flawed production that was actually released upon the public. I'd have missed many a good movie had I listened to the "professionals". This is an entertaining movie. It's not "The Godfather" or "Shawshank Redemption", but it's a good old fashioned action movie that keeps your attention. Get some popcorn and soda, sit back, and enjoy the show.
199 Reviews
Highly flawed, but ultimately successful
fullautofury28 August 2010
The plot for this film does not need to be explained. It's basically a pastiche of The Italian Job, True Romance and melodramatic clichés.
The third element in the blender, mentioned above, along with a script short on genuine character development (You'll sometimes forget that Hayden Christensen and Zoe Saldana are in it) are distracting for a film which develops a serious tone, but there are positives, depending on your genre preferences.
The film moves along briskly, even as we deal with a cringe-worthy first half, and when the actual robbery gets going, the fun starts. Though the cinematography is modeled too much off of the Bourne-style shaky cam, the set pieces are still very well pulled off.
The extended car chases and shootouts contain a level of energy and suspense that really makes them standout, comparable to similar scenes in the above mentioned films, along with an on-foot chase clearly modeling itself off of the Madagascar chase in Casino Royale. Every car whizzing by, bone crunch or gunshot affects the audience due to mostly- proper use of slow motion, and great editing, both sound and film wise.
The melodrama may make some engaged viewers start laughing due to how it's put on screen, but as the stakes get higher, gels with the storyline.
The main cast, considering the material they are given, do the best they can, and their charisma is enough for us to care about them when the stakes get REALLY high, particularly in the case of Matt Dillon and Idris Elba.
It's highly unoriginal and contains several other elements worthy of nitpicking, but after evaluating how I had spent the past 107 minutes of my life, I think it got the job done.
B-
The third element in the blender, mentioned above, along with a script short on genuine character development (You'll sometimes forget that Hayden Christensen and Zoe Saldana are in it) are distracting for a film which develops a serious tone, but there are positives, depending on your genre preferences.
The film moves along briskly, even as we deal with a cringe-worthy first half, and when the actual robbery gets going, the fun starts. Though the cinematography is modeled too much off of the Bourne-style shaky cam, the set pieces are still very well pulled off.
The extended car chases and shootouts contain a level of energy and suspense that really makes them standout, comparable to similar scenes in the above mentioned films, along with an on-foot chase clearly modeling itself off of the Madagascar chase in Casino Royale. Every car whizzing by, bone crunch or gunshot affects the audience due to mostly- proper use of slow motion, and great editing, both sound and film wise.
The melodrama may make some engaged viewers start laughing due to how it's put on screen, but as the stakes get higher, gels with the storyline.
The main cast, considering the material they are given, do the best they can, and their charisma is enough for us to care about them when the stakes get REALLY high, particularly in the case of Matt Dillon and Idris Elba.
It's highly unoriginal and contains several other elements worthy of nitpicking, but after evaluating how I had spent the past 107 minutes of my life, I think it got the job done.
B-
lots of action
blanche-220 July 2020
Every once in a while, I like a nice, mind-numbing adventure film that is pure entertainment. Takers is a good example.
The film stars Matt Dillon, Jay Hernandez, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, T.I., Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy, Steve Harris, Johnathon Schaech, Zoe Saldana, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
A professional group of robbers is approached by a member (T.I.) who was just released from prison. He has an incredible plan to take down an armored truck full of millions. The group decides to go for it.
Dillon and Hernandez are the two cops who are working to take them down after a recent bank robbery. A slip-up by the drug-addicted sister of one of the crooks puts the cops hot on his trail.
The last half hour of this movie is one of the longest and best chases on foot I've ever seen, followed by a massive shootout - it's nonstop action all the way.
As someone mentioned, not every film is Shawshank Redemption or Citizen Kane. There is room for this type of adventure flick - good thing, because there are plenty of them.
I found it highly entertaining, the story helped by a strong cast.
The film stars Matt Dillon, Jay Hernandez, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, T.I., Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy, Steve Harris, Johnathon Schaech, Zoe Saldana, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
A professional group of robbers is approached by a member (T.I.) who was just released from prison. He has an incredible plan to take down an armored truck full of millions. The group decides to go for it.
Dillon and Hernandez are the two cops who are working to take them down after a recent bank robbery. A slip-up by the drug-addicted sister of one of the crooks puts the cops hot on his trail.
The last half hour of this movie is one of the longest and best chases on foot I've ever seen, followed by a massive shootout - it's nonstop action all the way.
As someone mentioned, not every film is Shawshank Redemption or Citizen Kane. There is room for this type of adventure flick - good thing, because there are plenty of them.
I found it highly entertaining, the story helped by a strong cast.
What did You Expect?
JoeC34524 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
You don't go into a movie like this expecting it to be "Apocalypse Now". You walk in expecting to sit back and be entertained. Now I did the latter of the two and honestly I wasn't disappointed, it was far fetched, it had a good amount of dumb action, and mediocre acting. Now this all might sound bad but really it's not I enjoyed this movie for all it's faults.
Any description of the plot would be meaningless since it's pretty much given away in the preview, which happens a lot nowadays, but despite the formula plot line there was actually some descent characters to watch and almost care about.
I'm really happy I took a chance on this movie, I love great movies and even though this is definitely not one of them it entertained me and for a while I was just enjoying the movie. Which isn't really why we go to the movies anyway?
Any description of the plot would be meaningless since it's pretty much given away in the preview, which happens a lot nowadays, but despite the formula plot line there was actually some descent characters to watch and almost care about.
I'm really happy I took a chance on this movie, I love great movies and even though this is definitely not one of them it entertained me and for a while I was just enjoying the movie. Which isn't really why we go to the movies anyway?
Usual Heist Movie
chnikki29 August 2010
I have wanted to see this movie since the first trailer I saw last year. I am a big fan of heist/action movies. Seeing Idris Elba and Michael Ealy and Paul Walker in the trailer, I knew I would at least get my quotient of eye candy. After seeing some of the reviews for this movie, I had very low expectations.
Takers turned out to be a decent heist movie. They didn't do anything that was all that original. It was pretty predictable. It was just mindless entertainment that I enjoyed watching. I thought there was some good action sequences...I wish there were more of them. There was more melodrama than I was expecting, but I think it helped give the movie an ounce of depth. Don't expect Oscar worthy material or big unexpected plot turns and I think you will end up enjoying it.
Takers turned out to be a decent heist movie. They didn't do anything that was all that original. It was pretty predictable. It was just mindless entertainment that I enjoyed watching. I thought there was some good action sequences...I wish there were more of them. There was more melodrama than I was expecting, but I think it helped give the movie an ounce of depth. Don't expect Oscar worthy material or big unexpected plot turns and I think you will end up enjoying it.
"Takers" Gives You a Solid Movie
jgregg4227 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"I need a new suit." That's what I kept thinking during the movie "Inception" and again during "Takers." I like that Hollywood is dressing up their leading actors more often these days.
"Takers" is a story about a group of efficient, professional thieves who meticulously plan their robberies a year in an advance. They take their jobs seriously and leave little room for error. There is no one shining star in this crew. The team has great balance between the members played by younger Hollywood such as Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker and Michael Ealy.
The audience is tossed into two different action sequences from the start with no explanation of why we are watching these scenes. It's like waking up in the middle of cage fight then getting punched in the back of the head and the face simultaneously. After the disorientation, your head starts to clear up and things start coming into focus. The moment of clarity arrives and you are in the movie.
After the opening bank robbery we are introduced to the team of Takers. These guys are suave and know how to present themselves. It was like watching a group of "Esquire" magazine models relax after a hard day at the office (if that office specialized in bank robberies). They all wear expensive suits, drink high-end scotch and smoke fine cigars. They each retreat to their own slice of heaven to relax. The director (John Luessenhop, I don't know who he is either) spends a lot of time building their image through a slow motion reunion before they go into their own private club. For having only recently done a bank job together they seem to revel in their male bonding and handshaking quite extensively.
This life of the Takers seems too good to be true with very little conflict. That is why we are introduced to Ghost (played by Tip T.I. Harris) an ex-member of the Takers crew who is being released from prison. Seems that back in 2004 these guys did a job where Ghost was shot and sent to prison. He's not mad about it though, in fact he has one last big score for his old crew.
Meanwhile, the two detectives (Matt Dillon and Jay Hernandez) assigned to the Takers' bank robbery start gathering the information they need to track this crew down. We turn to the classic "cops and robbers" formula and we have seen it before.
The Takers start getting ready for the heist while more is being revealed about their personal lives. These side stories set the movie apart from the rest of the movies in the genre. In this case it is a close family member that gives Gordon (played by Idris Elba) a reason to accept this heist but it also gives him a lot of problems.
Family is also giving the detectives problems. Jack Welles (Dillon), the detective, is a single dad who is having problems going through his separation. This immediately brings us back into the typical cop drama. Why is it that almost every movie cop in LA is divorced? Seriously, I think Danny Glover's character in "Lethal Weapon" was the last detective who as able to bust bad guys, take hundreds of bullets to the chest and still keep his marriage together.
The story progresses at a good pace until the big action fueled bank heist. There was a little too much of the shaky camera syndrome. Note to Hollywood - we know what you are doing, stop it. The shaky camera action sequences don't work every time. Slow it down and try something else; it's giving us a headache.
Warning, you have seen the heist scene before in a previous film, I won't say which one but this time they didn't use Mini Coopers for the action sequence. Instead there was an elongated foot chase that seemed to last for hours. Another note to Hollywood - most Olympic athletes can't fall from a tall building, be hit by a bus and then sprint for a 1/4 mile while dodging bullets so don't try making us believe that Chris Brown can pull it off and still look good doing it.
Should you see this movie? Yes, it will keep your attention and most of the action is believable. There is genuine balance and chemistry amongst the characters. The director did try something different by putting a twist in the middle of the movie instead of at the end. He gets points for that. He also gets points for the elaborate shoot out scene; I applaud his choice of string instrument background music and lack of loud gun noises to give it a huge impact. Now if you will excuse me, I am off to shop for a new suit.
"Takers" is a story about a group of efficient, professional thieves who meticulously plan their robberies a year in an advance. They take their jobs seriously and leave little room for error. There is no one shining star in this crew. The team has great balance between the members played by younger Hollywood such as Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker and Michael Ealy.
The audience is tossed into two different action sequences from the start with no explanation of why we are watching these scenes. It's like waking up in the middle of cage fight then getting punched in the back of the head and the face simultaneously. After the disorientation, your head starts to clear up and things start coming into focus. The moment of clarity arrives and you are in the movie.
After the opening bank robbery we are introduced to the team of Takers. These guys are suave and know how to present themselves. It was like watching a group of "Esquire" magazine models relax after a hard day at the office (if that office specialized in bank robberies). They all wear expensive suits, drink high-end scotch and smoke fine cigars. They each retreat to their own slice of heaven to relax. The director (John Luessenhop, I don't know who he is either) spends a lot of time building their image through a slow motion reunion before they go into their own private club. For having only recently done a bank job together they seem to revel in their male bonding and handshaking quite extensively.
This life of the Takers seems too good to be true with very little conflict. That is why we are introduced to Ghost (played by Tip T.I. Harris) an ex-member of the Takers crew who is being released from prison. Seems that back in 2004 these guys did a job where Ghost was shot and sent to prison. He's not mad about it though, in fact he has one last big score for his old crew.
Meanwhile, the two detectives (Matt Dillon and Jay Hernandez) assigned to the Takers' bank robbery start gathering the information they need to track this crew down. We turn to the classic "cops and robbers" formula and we have seen it before.
The Takers start getting ready for the heist while more is being revealed about their personal lives. These side stories set the movie apart from the rest of the movies in the genre. In this case it is a close family member that gives Gordon (played by Idris Elba) a reason to accept this heist but it also gives him a lot of problems.
Family is also giving the detectives problems. Jack Welles (Dillon), the detective, is a single dad who is having problems going through his separation. This immediately brings us back into the typical cop drama. Why is it that almost every movie cop in LA is divorced? Seriously, I think Danny Glover's character in "Lethal Weapon" was the last detective who as able to bust bad guys, take hundreds of bullets to the chest and still keep his marriage together.
The story progresses at a good pace until the big action fueled bank heist. There was a little too much of the shaky camera syndrome. Note to Hollywood - we know what you are doing, stop it. The shaky camera action sequences don't work every time. Slow it down and try something else; it's giving us a headache.
Warning, you have seen the heist scene before in a previous film, I won't say which one but this time they didn't use Mini Coopers for the action sequence. Instead there was an elongated foot chase that seemed to last for hours. Another note to Hollywood - most Olympic athletes can't fall from a tall building, be hit by a bus and then sprint for a 1/4 mile while dodging bullets so don't try making us believe that Chris Brown can pull it off and still look good doing it.
Should you see this movie? Yes, it will keep your attention and most of the action is believable. There is genuine balance and chemistry amongst the characters. The director did try something different by putting a twist in the middle of the movie instead of at the end. He gets points for that. He also gets points for the elaborate shoot out scene; I applaud his choice of string instrument background music and lack of loud gun noises to give it a huge impact. Now if you will excuse me, I am off to shop for a new suit.
My Head is Spinning
TamPalm29 August 2010
This movie is fast-paced and the cinematography (specifically the shaky camera thing) is clever and interesting when it's not irritating. Also, there is some eye candy for the ladies and some of the cast is full of interesting and appealing characters, some who actually do decent acting jobs ("some" is the operative word.) Those are the good points.
Now the other side. I like T.I. as a rapper and even thought he did an okay acting job in ATL a few years ago, but his acting here was just downright criminal. There was one scene in which he dominated the dialog that I actually said out loud, "his acting is so bad, it's offensive." You're actually offended that that is being pushed off as something you should buy as a viewer. You're wondering how no one in the director's booth was offended by it. In fairness, the fast action of the bulk of the movie shields the poor acting a bit, so the blow is blunted a bit. But between his poor acting and Chris Brown's sometimey acting, it was just a lot being asked of the viewer. Speaking of characters, the lack of character development is also a low point of the film. I agree with another commenter that you're asked to feel something for a character who dies, but you feel nothing because you really haven't been given anything to know or care about. And finally as others have stated, the plot is clichéd to the point that you're wondering if it's supposed to be a satire of some sort. But no, no satire. They're seriously trying to wrap Heat and Set it Off and Dead Presidents up in a big bow and pass it off as a new present. Just not a good thing to do.
I rate it a 5 on a 10-point scale because while it's not a great movie, it does hold your attention and as bad as some parts are, it's not the worst movie I've ever seen. So I say giving it about half credit is pretty accurate. In that vain, I won't say you should pay to see this or you shouldn't pay to see it. I say do the 50/50 thing--flip a coin. Either way, the earth won't shatter. This movie is just not that significant either way. It will probably be forgotten pretty soon.
Now the other side. I like T.I. as a rapper and even thought he did an okay acting job in ATL a few years ago, but his acting here was just downright criminal. There was one scene in which he dominated the dialog that I actually said out loud, "his acting is so bad, it's offensive." You're actually offended that that is being pushed off as something you should buy as a viewer. You're wondering how no one in the director's booth was offended by it. In fairness, the fast action of the bulk of the movie shields the poor acting a bit, so the blow is blunted a bit. But between his poor acting and Chris Brown's sometimey acting, it was just a lot being asked of the viewer. Speaking of characters, the lack of character development is also a low point of the film. I agree with another commenter that you're asked to feel something for a character who dies, but you feel nothing because you really haven't been given anything to know or care about. And finally as others have stated, the plot is clichéd to the point that you're wondering if it's supposed to be a satire of some sort. But no, no satire. They're seriously trying to wrap Heat and Set it Off and Dead Presidents up in a big bow and pass it off as a new present. Just not a good thing to do.
I rate it a 5 on a 10-point scale because while it's not a great movie, it does hold your attention and as bad as some parts are, it's not the worst movie I've ever seen. So I say giving it about half credit is pretty accurate. In that vain, I won't say you should pay to see this or you shouldn't pay to see it. I say do the 50/50 thing--flip a coin. Either way, the earth won't shatter. This movie is just not that significant either way. It will probably be forgotten pretty soon.
Stop Trying to Make Rappers Into Actors
bdgill1216 July 2011
A veteran crew of hardened thieves, led by Gordon (Idris Elba) and John (Paul Walker), runs into some turmoil when Ghost (T.I.), a former member of the group, gets out of prison and offers up a dangerous job. Against their better judgment, the group decides they owe it to their newly free comrade to pull the heist, all the while unsure of whether or not they can trust the intel. With a detective (Matt Dillon) hot on their tails and a clean lifestyle calling to some of the crew, the thieves put everything on the line for a score that will surely make or break them.
Heist movies call to me, even ones I know will be awful. There's something about a big score playing out on screen that gets my attention every time. I'm like a drug addict, really, constantly chasing the next high, with the high being "Heat" or "Italian Job." So even as I mocked the trailer for "Takers" last Fall, I knew I'd eventually give in and check it out. And now I hate myself for giving into the urge.
"Takers" is, quite simply, a mess of a movie. Terrible acting, an overly convoluted story, and a final "twist" you can see from the opening credits, "Takers" has them all. The biggest issue, however, is a severe identity crisis. "Takers" can't decide whether it wants to be "Ocean's 11", "Heat", or "Dead Presidents." The tone of the film jumps back and forth between smooth and stylish, harsh and gritty, and over-the-top ridiculousness. The filmmakers clearly couldn't decide what their target audience would be and decided to shoot for them all, only they failed to hit on ANY level. Elba, a fine actor, is seriously underused while Zoe Saldana's role in the film is completely pointless. Whatever Saldana was paid, it was stolen money because she's essentially an extra given a line here or there. And when you then consider how much time was given to Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen, both horrendous actors, you have to ask yourself what in the name of John Frankenheimer was director John Lussenhop doing?! Walker and Christensen are completely overshadowed in the "Worst Actor EVER" conversation, though, compared to rapper T.I. Never, and I mean, NEVER, have I witnessed a more miserable performance. I feel like I should start a petition to ban T.I. from appearing on screen again in the future. It is offensive how bad he is.
"Takers" also steals liberally from better heist movies and while I usually give a free pass in the "That's Already Been Done in This Other Movie" department, it's so blatant here that the characters actually reference the knock-off they are about to perform. New lows all around. The first 20-30 minutes of "Takers" is decent and some of the (early) action is entertaining but that is all that keeps this movie from completely deteriorating into near-spoof territory.
Check out my site: www.thesoapboxoffice.blogspot.com
Heist movies call to me, even ones I know will be awful. There's something about a big score playing out on screen that gets my attention every time. I'm like a drug addict, really, constantly chasing the next high, with the high being "Heat" or "Italian Job." So even as I mocked the trailer for "Takers" last Fall, I knew I'd eventually give in and check it out. And now I hate myself for giving into the urge.
"Takers" is, quite simply, a mess of a movie. Terrible acting, an overly convoluted story, and a final "twist" you can see from the opening credits, "Takers" has them all. The biggest issue, however, is a severe identity crisis. "Takers" can't decide whether it wants to be "Ocean's 11", "Heat", or "Dead Presidents." The tone of the film jumps back and forth between smooth and stylish, harsh and gritty, and over-the-top ridiculousness. The filmmakers clearly couldn't decide what their target audience would be and decided to shoot for them all, only they failed to hit on ANY level. Elba, a fine actor, is seriously underused while Zoe Saldana's role in the film is completely pointless. Whatever Saldana was paid, it was stolen money because she's essentially an extra given a line here or there. And when you then consider how much time was given to Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen, both horrendous actors, you have to ask yourself what in the name of John Frankenheimer was director John Lussenhop doing?! Walker and Christensen are completely overshadowed in the "Worst Actor EVER" conversation, though, compared to rapper T.I. Never, and I mean, NEVER, have I witnessed a more miserable performance. I feel like I should start a petition to ban T.I. from appearing on screen again in the future. It is offensive how bad he is.
"Takers" also steals liberally from better heist movies and while I usually give a free pass in the "That's Already Been Done in This Other Movie" department, it's so blatant here that the characters actually reference the knock-off they are about to perform. New lows all around. The first 20-30 minutes of "Takers" is decent and some of the (early) action is entertaining but that is all that keeps this movie from completely deteriorating into near-spoof territory.
Check out my site: www.thesoapboxoffice.blogspot.com
Awesome!
daniel-82912 September 2011
I really liked "Lucky Number Slevin", so I thought I'd go watch this movie too. The bad reviews here troubled me some, but in the end it was well worth it.
The film has a great visual style and is well paced. There is only one subplot that I can think of that we could do without (that drug addict sister) but the rest was well done. The authors were well cast, their acting was good, and I think they played well together. It seemed like they had fun.
The action sequences were nice to look at, the robberies spectacular, lots of stuff gets blown up.
I suggest you watch this movie, you won't be disappointed. Some of you may look for more X and others will find it lacking in Y, but you can't say that this film is bad, that the actors are horrible or that the director doesn't know what he's doing.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and give it a 9, because it is up there with my personal favorites.
The film has a great visual style and is well paced. There is only one subplot that I can think of that we could do without (that drug addict sister) but the rest was well done. The authors were well cast, their acting was good, and I think they played well together. It seemed like they had fun.
The action sequences were nice to look at, the robberies spectacular, lots of stuff gets blown up.
I suggest you watch this movie, you won't be disappointed. Some of you may look for more X and others will find it lacking in Y, but you can't say that this film is bad, that the actors are horrible or that the director doesn't know what he's doing.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and give it a 9, because it is up there with my personal favorites.
Predictable
priyantha-bandara1 January 2011
Heists, robberies, thieves all seems very attractive words when it comes to movie business. And some names like Italian Job, Oceans 11 have proved to be the brim of excitement and thrill and made movie history bit more vivid and interesting. However not always this is true. Even though some movies come out with stunning trailers and impressive cast they fail to pull out the obvious, the story and the drama. And I think 'Takers' fail in the same spot.
'Takers' is a story about a gang of thieves who live luxurious life from the money they manage to rob. Well informed, organized and trained in their livelihood of taking what belongs to others, they seem to know what they are doing. But one day their history starts to bite them in their back and meanwhile a restless cop starts to sniff his way up to their doorstep. In between thundering loud bullet exchanges and lightning fast pursuits 'Takers' have its moments of thrill and suspense. And even the cast is not bad. Eye candy for the woman viewers for sure with Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen in front seats of the whole game the movie, but has poor female characters presentation. The hot Zoe Saldana represents a bit of woman on the movie but her face time is quite unnoticeable.
Even though the action, cinematography, cast is quite good there are certain key areas where 'Takers' fail to deliver. One big failure is the plot. There is no magic in it. Looks Cliché and quite predictable if you are a fan of heist movies all along. And the character development is very poor. You hardly get to know any character so you don't actually feel anything towards them when the story throws emotional moments at you. So the impressive cast is not actually worth it after all.
'Takers' is a thrill ride with a big emptiness surrounding it. I won't consider watching it again unless it's free on HBO and its a lazy jobless day.
'Takers' is a story about a gang of thieves who live luxurious life from the money they manage to rob. Well informed, organized and trained in their livelihood of taking what belongs to others, they seem to know what they are doing. But one day their history starts to bite them in their back and meanwhile a restless cop starts to sniff his way up to their doorstep. In between thundering loud bullet exchanges and lightning fast pursuits 'Takers' have its moments of thrill and suspense. And even the cast is not bad. Eye candy for the woman viewers for sure with Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen in front seats of the whole game the movie, but has poor female characters presentation. The hot Zoe Saldana represents a bit of woman on the movie but her face time is quite unnoticeable.
Even though the action, cinematography, cast is quite good there are certain key areas where 'Takers' fail to deliver. One big failure is the plot. There is no magic in it. Looks Cliché and quite predictable if you are a fan of heist movies all along. And the character development is very poor. You hardly get to know any character so you don't actually feel anything towards them when the story throws emotional moments at you. So the impressive cast is not actually worth it after all.
'Takers' is a thrill ride with a big emptiness surrounding it. I won't consider watching it again unless it's free on HBO and its a lazy jobless day.
A hodge podge of other great heist films
razorcutgarlic7 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
After reading some of the positive reviews of this movie, I must put my two cents in. This film is absolute crap, and if you are one of the few people who like it, you must not have seen many heist movies in your life.
Spoiler warning for something that happens at the beginning of the film. The film opens with a bank heist that desperately wants to be like the bank heist in Michael Mann's Heat, except that instead of a hard-ass bastards like DeNiro, Val Kilmer, and Tom Sizemore, we have a bunch of soft-ass pop singers and pretty boys like Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen.
You're supposed to believe that these guys are highly disciplined and bad-ass outlaws?! Gimme a break! After they grab the cash, they escape by running to the roof of the building, and tricking a news chopper into landing so that they can use it to escape! Right there I was like, what if the news chopper decided not to be stupid? Now you're stuck on top of a damn skyscraper with nowhere to run! Can you imagine if DeNiro's crew in Heat decided that their only escape plan was to chopper jack an escape vehicle?! It's beyond stupid, and utterly ludicrous! The filmmakers rip off a plethora of classic and not-so-classic heist films including Heat, the Italian Job, and True Romance. If you have never seen any of these movies, you may find this somewhat entertaining.
Spoiler warning for something that happens at the beginning of the film. The film opens with a bank heist that desperately wants to be like the bank heist in Michael Mann's Heat, except that instead of a hard-ass bastards like DeNiro, Val Kilmer, and Tom Sizemore, we have a bunch of soft-ass pop singers and pretty boys like Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen.
You're supposed to believe that these guys are highly disciplined and bad-ass outlaws?! Gimme a break! After they grab the cash, they escape by running to the roof of the building, and tricking a news chopper into landing so that they can use it to escape! Right there I was like, what if the news chopper decided not to be stupid? Now you're stuck on top of a damn skyscraper with nowhere to run! Can you imagine if DeNiro's crew in Heat decided that their only escape plan was to chopper jack an escape vehicle?! It's beyond stupid, and utterly ludicrous! The filmmakers rip off a plethora of classic and not-so-classic heist films including Heat, the Italian Job, and True Romance. If you have never seen any of these movies, you may find this somewhat entertaining.
Takers bootches!
ElvenNights29 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Loved it. This movie is a quintessential guy movie. No wasted dialogue or subplots not directly related to the main plot. All comparisons to this work are nowhere close to what lies at the heart of this film. If you want to complain about the Italian Job trick it's pointless because T.I.'s character points it out that he wants to do an "Italian Job," snatch and grab. Needless to say it goes a bit differently. This is a unique take on a classic premise.
This film is all about the point of view it follows. Guy goes to jail, doesn't turn on his friends, guy gets released, friends worry about future police contact and being seen with a marked man, things get sketchy. These are very believable ideas and a fresh spin. Too many times in movies you're left thinking there is no way someone could pull that off and then things become silly. Not here. If you feel the need to compare Takers to another film it's basically a sexed up hipper Heat (a complement because it's another gritty believable crime drama). Right down to the high rollers, armored truck, and black duffel bags used to carry the load. Only instead of Michael Sizemore making a run for it with a trunk load of dough you have bad boy Chris Brown showing off his dexterity as he tries to allude being captured.
If you know anything about film making, every director and writer gets influenced from previous works. The very first movies got influenced from great literary pieces. So, to complain about similarities is ignorant. This isn't a synopsis so I won't waste your time summarizing the movie. Highlights for me where it got stimulating and raw were the fight scene with Hayden Christensen (laying down the law) and the free running getaway chase scene with Chris Brown (sic).
I'm a theatre arts senior so I can appreciate quality film making when I see it. Old school action without the seizure inducing over digitalizations. I used to be a computer arts major. Boring, not to mention tedious no matter how fun it is to watch. Not needed here. All biases aside, this was a great film. It's quick, witty, detailed, fashionable, and above all believable seemingly without trying. For everyone complaining about T.I.'s acting get your head examined. For one, he basically is this character in real life so whatever he does is believable. Do you not know that he did just get out of prison for being set up by the FEDs for purchasing an arsenal. T.I. is one of the best cross profession actors out there (including Will Smith who is also great). This movie took some of the best young talent and gave them a script which brought out their better qualities. The ensemble was brilliant in it's own right. You get Christensen, Elba, Dillon, Hernandez, Walker, T.I., the infamous Brown all co-starring and pulling it off like they've been friends for years. What I liked the most about this film is that it's all substance and no meandering into pointless directions. If anything it could have gone into even more background information about the characters. The fact is, it doesn't have to. This is the world that is created where everyone is on a need to know basis, even the audience. We get all of the meat with very little fat. If you don't like this movie you must have an aversion to action movies and or be really feminine. If you're a guy and don't absolutely dig this flick, I'm pulling your man card.
This film is all about the point of view it follows. Guy goes to jail, doesn't turn on his friends, guy gets released, friends worry about future police contact and being seen with a marked man, things get sketchy. These are very believable ideas and a fresh spin. Too many times in movies you're left thinking there is no way someone could pull that off and then things become silly. Not here. If you feel the need to compare Takers to another film it's basically a sexed up hipper Heat (a complement because it's another gritty believable crime drama). Right down to the high rollers, armored truck, and black duffel bags used to carry the load. Only instead of Michael Sizemore making a run for it with a trunk load of dough you have bad boy Chris Brown showing off his dexterity as he tries to allude being captured.
If you know anything about film making, every director and writer gets influenced from previous works. The very first movies got influenced from great literary pieces. So, to complain about similarities is ignorant. This isn't a synopsis so I won't waste your time summarizing the movie. Highlights for me where it got stimulating and raw were the fight scene with Hayden Christensen (laying down the law) and the free running getaway chase scene with Chris Brown (sic).
I'm a theatre arts senior so I can appreciate quality film making when I see it. Old school action without the seizure inducing over digitalizations. I used to be a computer arts major. Boring, not to mention tedious no matter how fun it is to watch. Not needed here. All biases aside, this was a great film. It's quick, witty, detailed, fashionable, and above all believable seemingly without trying. For everyone complaining about T.I.'s acting get your head examined. For one, he basically is this character in real life so whatever he does is believable. Do you not know that he did just get out of prison for being set up by the FEDs for purchasing an arsenal. T.I. is one of the best cross profession actors out there (including Will Smith who is also great). This movie took some of the best young talent and gave them a script which brought out their better qualities. The ensemble was brilliant in it's own right. You get Christensen, Elba, Dillon, Hernandez, Walker, T.I., the infamous Brown all co-starring and pulling it off like they've been friends for years. What I liked the most about this film is that it's all substance and no meandering into pointless directions. If anything it could have gone into even more background information about the characters. The fact is, it doesn't have to. This is the world that is created where everyone is on a need to know basis, even the audience. We get all of the meat with very little fat. If you don't like this movie you must have an aversion to action movies and or be really feminine. If you're a guy and don't absolutely dig this flick, I'm pulling your man card.
Hip Hop HEAT
user-3558310 April 2022
Story bears more than a passing resemblance to Michael Mann's far superior HEAT. But still deserves some credit for cast, pacing and a frenetic foot chase that lasts almost 10 minutes. Throw in a couple of decent shootouts and there you go.
Entirely routine
Leofwine_draca14 August 2015
TAKERS is a repackaging of HEAT for the young, urban, male crowd. This film tries so hard to be hip that it hurts - it's obviously targeted at a black demographic with its casting of various uninteresting rappers-turned-actors and the like - and yet it plays out a tired old story which has been told time and time again. It's hard to know what's more disappointing here, the clichéd story or the entirely unremarkable direction.
The story features a couple of weary cops (a tired-looking Matt Dillon and a 'remember him?' Jay Hernandez from HOSTEL) as they track down a large gang of robbers planning to carry out their latest audacious heist. All of the crime and heist clichés are present and correct here, but the characters aren't; the team of scriptwriters fail to make anybody in the least bit likable, so you just can't muster up the enthusiasm to care about what happens.
Paul Walker's here in a minor bit of tokenism to draw in FAST AND FURIOUS viewers. Hayden Christensen (STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH) shows up, but has such a lack of presence that I didn't realise it was him until late on in the proceedings. The best performance goes to Idris Elba as one of the gang members, but he's given so little to work with that you wonder why he showed up. TAKERS is an example of Hollywood cookie-cutter movie-making at its worst.
The story features a couple of weary cops (a tired-looking Matt Dillon and a 'remember him?' Jay Hernandez from HOSTEL) as they track down a large gang of robbers planning to carry out their latest audacious heist. All of the crime and heist clichés are present and correct here, but the characters aren't; the team of scriptwriters fail to make anybody in the least bit likable, so you just can't muster up the enthusiasm to care about what happens.
Paul Walker's here in a minor bit of tokenism to draw in FAST AND FURIOUS viewers. Hayden Christensen (STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH) shows up, but has such a lack of presence that I didn't realise it was him until late on in the proceedings. The best performance goes to Idris Elba as one of the gang members, but he's given so little to work with that you wonder why he showed up. TAKERS is an example of Hollywood cookie-cutter movie-making at its worst.
Poor man's "The Town", still, nice movie.
SundayDriver12 December 2010
As the tittle says, if you want a really good thieves-crew movie go for "The Town" (Ben Affleck's new adventure), or, if you missed it, "Heat" (1995). If you missed this one, wait no longer and get it NOW, its a masterpiece.
Takers is entertaining, action packed, bang bang and all those flashy things. You will be as satisfied as in a meal without dessert, you are full but you still lack something sweet.
The story in "Takers" is solid, with a few shortcuts along the way, but nothing damaging to the overall value of the movie. Acting is also very decent, nothing fancy, also a few bad apples, but mainly in the "second line" of actors.
Also, for the love story fans this has very little value, and the the little it has does not turn out too good.
Overall, my humble opinion, give this movie a chance and you will be satisfied.
Takers is entertaining, action packed, bang bang and all those flashy things. You will be as satisfied as in a meal without dessert, you are full but you still lack something sweet.
The story in "Takers" is solid, with a few shortcuts along the way, but nothing damaging to the overall value of the movie. Acting is also very decent, nothing fancy, also a few bad apples, but mainly in the "second line" of actors.
Also, for the love story fans this has very little value, and the the little it has does not turn out too good.
Overall, my humble opinion, give this movie a chance and you will be satisfied.
An impressive diverse cast of mid-level celebrities!
Hellmant30 August 2010
'TAKERS': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
An impressive diverse cast of mid-level celebrities and some pretty stunning action scenes highlight this bank robber / obsessed cop heist film directed by newcomer John Luessenhop. The cast includes Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen (who after having to deliver such awful dialog and mellow drama in the last three 'STAR WARS' films has actually done pretty well for himself career-wise, compared to like Mark Hamill or Carrie Fisher), Jay Hernandez, Zoe Saldana, Michael Ealy, Jonathon Schaech, pop singer Chris Brown and rapper T.I. (Brown and T.I. Also executive produced the film). Like 'THE EXPENDABLES' this film made the smart choice of putting all these actors together, any one or even two by themselves wouldn't have drawn much attention or cash but adding them all together made for a flashy looking film (It made $21 million in it's first weekend, that's pretty impressive for this type of film). The movie is a pretty routine cops and robbers film, sort of a second rate 'HEIST', but it's also surprisingly entertaining!
The film follows a team of five expert and professional bank robbers (Elba, Walker, Christensen, Brown and Ealy) as they team up with an ex-partner of theirs (T.I.), who was just released from prison, on a dangerous armored truck heist, worth $20 million. The movie also focuses on an obsessed cop (Dillon) hot on their trail and his seemingly more 'by the book' partner (Hernandez). Drama ensues as the 'loose canon' cop neglects his young daughter and the bank robbers feel friction and mistrust for their ex-partner. There's also a side story revolving around the crooks leader (Elba) and his drug addicted sister (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste).
For the most part the characters are underdeveloped and what is developed isn't something we haven't seen hundreds of times before but the cast adds a lot of character and charm to their roles. Each actor is cast perfectly in his or her part (although the female parts are pretty small); Dillon and Elba are always at their best but actors like Walker and Christensen are actually given a brief chance to shine in movies like this. The action scenes are also stunning. The two heists are extremely impressive and there's a breathtaking foot chase scene! The movie is surprisingly entertaining. I went into the movie expecting to be mildly amused but I was hooked for the most part, largely due to the cast and action.
Watch our review show, 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNa6Ky58lm8
An impressive diverse cast of mid-level celebrities and some pretty stunning action scenes highlight this bank robber / obsessed cop heist film directed by newcomer John Luessenhop. The cast includes Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen (who after having to deliver such awful dialog and mellow drama in the last three 'STAR WARS' films has actually done pretty well for himself career-wise, compared to like Mark Hamill or Carrie Fisher), Jay Hernandez, Zoe Saldana, Michael Ealy, Jonathon Schaech, pop singer Chris Brown and rapper T.I. (Brown and T.I. Also executive produced the film). Like 'THE EXPENDABLES' this film made the smart choice of putting all these actors together, any one or even two by themselves wouldn't have drawn much attention or cash but adding them all together made for a flashy looking film (It made $21 million in it's first weekend, that's pretty impressive for this type of film). The movie is a pretty routine cops and robbers film, sort of a second rate 'HEIST', but it's also surprisingly entertaining!
The film follows a team of five expert and professional bank robbers (Elba, Walker, Christensen, Brown and Ealy) as they team up with an ex-partner of theirs (T.I.), who was just released from prison, on a dangerous armored truck heist, worth $20 million. The movie also focuses on an obsessed cop (Dillon) hot on their trail and his seemingly more 'by the book' partner (Hernandez). Drama ensues as the 'loose canon' cop neglects his young daughter and the bank robbers feel friction and mistrust for their ex-partner. There's also a side story revolving around the crooks leader (Elba) and his drug addicted sister (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste).
For the most part the characters are underdeveloped and what is developed isn't something we haven't seen hundreds of times before but the cast adds a lot of character and charm to their roles. Each actor is cast perfectly in his or her part (although the female parts are pretty small); Dillon and Elba are always at their best but actors like Walker and Christensen are actually given a brief chance to shine in movies like this. The action scenes are also stunning. The two heists are extremely impressive and there's a breathtaking foot chase scene! The movie is surprisingly entertaining. I went into the movie expecting to be mildly amused but I was hooked for the most part, largely due to the cast and action.
Watch our review show, 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNa6Ky58lm8
Excellent cast for a poor script
bethjazotte-6093118 July 2021
A Nutshell Review: Takers
DICK STEEL16 October 2010
Takers is a heist film that's pretty much the same as other heist films, where there's plenty of room for loud action, camaraderie, the elaborate planning stage, and how Murphy's Law enters to screw everything up. This film has it all which makes it pretty average. but there were moments which stood out and made it noteworthy, and hey, an ensemble cast (even if for a few scenes only) with the likes of Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Matt Dillon, Jay Hernandez, Idirs Elba, Zoe Saldana and the notorious Chris Brown doesn't hurt either.
The thieving bunch here comprises of a close knit group of brothers real and sworn who take a year to plan their large heists, in part to have some time off to allow for their latest escapade to cool off and fade off from the police's radar, to spend their ill gotten dough and of course, to allow for the meticulous planning of their next hit. They follow a strict regime of communication and the reliance of unique skills they bring to the table, and we see how that all come together in concert with their money making objectives. They don't kill unless necessary, and they don't see themselves as desperate robbers. They're above that - they take.
Director John Luessenhop slaps together scenes that tried to go beyond just a simple heist film, and dwells at length to the background of these characters, where we have one who's about to get married, and another grappling with his sister's drug rehabilitation. Even the token cops in the film doesn't get spared, with the story squeezing some time out to showcase how dogged Matt Dillon's Jack Welles is to his job at the expense of previous quality time with his daughter. In fact I don't see how the cops' stories are that compelling to be included in Takers other than to highlight that the world isn't made out to be black and white, but always with that constant opportunity for grey. Given the way the cops' story and subplot got resolved, it could have been totally eliminated and yet there'll still be plenty left in the tank for the film to entertain, since they don't add much to the plot.
The film really picked up past the halfway mark where their new heist proper gets put into action, courtesy of a plan from one of the team's past buddies Ghost (T.I.) whose multi- million dollar proposition involving an armoured truck and pulling off the equivalent of The Italian Job in the tunnels of Los Angeles is too much to handle, that the team chucks their one year per job mantra out the window for that once in a lifetime opportunity. Which spells trouble of course, beginning with a nail-biting build up right down to the ending. Despite being riddled with clichés and plot conveniences at times, or even gaping loopholes that stick out like a sore thumb, such as creating such a prolonged ruckus in a hotel room/floor that the police couldn't arrive on time until the action was over.
Don't get me wrong, the extended shootout was one of my favourite scenes in the film given director Luessenhop's flair in crafting it out and injecting something fresh in the presentation. For the most parts the story (with a total of 4 writers involved) made it out for the team to seem to be on the losing end, and having to execute their exit plans fast, only for some other incident to drop in unexpectedly and derail those plans, testing their resolve and their honour amongst thieves. There's the classic Mexican stand-off moment too ala John Woo and Johnnie To involving both sides of the fence that got resolved pretty quickly, unfortunately, devoid of meaningful suspense.
Still, Takers still had its essential ingredient that fuels average B-grade Hollywood action films, so if you're ready for a compromise of a plot that will stretch what's believable and that of the actors constantly swaggering around, this is for that action junkie in you.
The thieving bunch here comprises of a close knit group of brothers real and sworn who take a year to plan their large heists, in part to have some time off to allow for their latest escapade to cool off and fade off from the police's radar, to spend their ill gotten dough and of course, to allow for the meticulous planning of their next hit. They follow a strict regime of communication and the reliance of unique skills they bring to the table, and we see how that all come together in concert with their money making objectives. They don't kill unless necessary, and they don't see themselves as desperate robbers. They're above that - they take.
Director John Luessenhop slaps together scenes that tried to go beyond just a simple heist film, and dwells at length to the background of these characters, where we have one who's about to get married, and another grappling with his sister's drug rehabilitation. Even the token cops in the film doesn't get spared, with the story squeezing some time out to showcase how dogged Matt Dillon's Jack Welles is to his job at the expense of previous quality time with his daughter. In fact I don't see how the cops' stories are that compelling to be included in Takers other than to highlight that the world isn't made out to be black and white, but always with that constant opportunity for grey. Given the way the cops' story and subplot got resolved, it could have been totally eliminated and yet there'll still be plenty left in the tank for the film to entertain, since they don't add much to the plot.
The film really picked up past the halfway mark where their new heist proper gets put into action, courtesy of a plan from one of the team's past buddies Ghost (T.I.) whose multi- million dollar proposition involving an armoured truck and pulling off the equivalent of The Italian Job in the tunnels of Los Angeles is too much to handle, that the team chucks their one year per job mantra out the window for that once in a lifetime opportunity. Which spells trouble of course, beginning with a nail-biting build up right down to the ending. Despite being riddled with clichés and plot conveniences at times, or even gaping loopholes that stick out like a sore thumb, such as creating such a prolonged ruckus in a hotel room/floor that the police couldn't arrive on time until the action was over.
Don't get me wrong, the extended shootout was one of my favourite scenes in the film given director Luessenhop's flair in crafting it out and injecting something fresh in the presentation. For the most parts the story (with a total of 4 writers involved) made it out for the team to seem to be on the losing end, and having to execute their exit plans fast, only for some other incident to drop in unexpectedly and derail those plans, testing their resolve and their honour amongst thieves. There's the classic Mexican stand-off moment too ala John Woo and Johnnie To involving both sides of the fence that got resolved pretty quickly, unfortunately, devoid of meaningful suspense.
Still, Takers still had its essential ingredient that fuels average B-grade Hollywood action films, so if you're ready for a compromise of a plot that will stretch what's believable and that of the actors constantly swaggering around, this is for that action junkie in you.
A fairly effective Heat rip-off.
searchanddestroy-124 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I expected worse from this action packed heist movie. I was afraid of a cheesy B crime flick, with lousy actors, characters and topic. But I am rather fairly good surprised. The characters are interesting, well described - the two brothers, the hood with his drug addicted sister, the cops with their own family problems...- I would say that there are no leads in this cat and mouse, cops vs robbers tale. There is only one bad guy, as the HEAT's Waingro. In this actioner, HEAT is nearly every where. But I find it normal. Many pictures do since Michael Mann's masterpiece release, back in 1996.
Matt Dillon and Paul Walker don't "play" on the same side of the law, but the two of them give here powerful and believable performances. I would have better seen Walker in the cop character. A good surprise, after all.
The heist M.O. makes me think of the Italian JOB (2003) one...
A very entertaining actioner. I prefer it to Ben Affleck's THE TOWN. It's not Affleck's one is worst, but I prefer this one.
Matt Dillon and Paul Walker don't "play" on the same side of the law, but the two of them give here powerful and believable performances. I would have better seen Walker in the cop character. A good surprise, after all.
The heist M.O. makes me think of the Italian JOB (2003) one...
A very entertaining actioner. I prefer it to Ben Affleck's THE TOWN. It's not Affleck's one is worst, but I prefer this one.
Not the best of the year but a definite must see!!
imvaughn29 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start by saying I am a movie buff. I go to the movies at least 2xs a month & love a variety of films. Takers is a good movie. The movie is basically about some guys who are professional bank robbers. I don't mean those ones who just walk in & say give me all your money. Professionals who can tap into the video systems, elevator systems, & use a lot of C4. Pretty basic movie to follow. Nothing deep or thought provoking like inception. Just a good old fashion bank robbery story.
But this is a review so let me start with the bad parts.
1. Not a lot of character development. While we are introduced to the characters this movie doesn't spend an hour telling you about the characters backgrounds or doing the cheezy flashbacks to when Ghost (T.I) got shot & sent to jail.
2. Did not really understand why Ghost (T.I) wanted to set up the whole crew when a. they saved his money from the heist he got caught in & b. the only person who betrayed him was Jake ( Michael Ealy).
Other than those 2 points I didn't see anything worth mentioning. I am not one of those people who complain about the camera controls or the lighting. I come into movies with an expectation to be entertained not looking for a technical & mechanical masterpiece. I could care less about the lighting as long as the it isn't in the way & the story is good.
Okay now one to the good parts: 1. There were 2 high famous music entertainers in the story; Chris Brown & T.I. Where other directors would have tried to make them the focal piece of the story & have them in every scene. This director used them as supporting cast members & it played out beautifully. Each had about a 30 min scene where they shined & the story focused on them. Chris Brown (Jesse) had a great chase scene where he is jumping over cars & doing acrobatic flips. Very entertaining. T.I (Ghost) has a very big ending where he is great.
2. Action Action Action. While I know this story has been done a few times this summer in their defense this movie was slated to come out to come out last year but T.I went to jail so it was pushed back a year. So I can't fault them for that. The action was great. Blowing streets, lots of gun shots, & killing. Just great.
3. Lack of character development. I hate movies that spend 1hr over explaining things. Action movies are about actions. If I want deep character development I will go watch a chic flick. So while I think more character development could have been done, I am happy it wasn't to some extent.
4. The cast was amazing. Marianna Jean- Baptiste, Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Paul Walker, Matt Dillion & etc all were great. No one dropped the ball. Each character was believable & showed off their talents.
So in short... this is a good movie. Don't go in expecting anything but an opportunity to be entertained & you will love it.
But this is a review so let me start with the bad parts.
1. Not a lot of character development. While we are introduced to the characters this movie doesn't spend an hour telling you about the characters backgrounds or doing the cheezy flashbacks to when Ghost (T.I) got shot & sent to jail.
2. Did not really understand why Ghost (T.I) wanted to set up the whole crew when a. they saved his money from the heist he got caught in & b. the only person who betrayed him was Jake ( Michael Ealy).
Other than those 2 points I didn't see anything worth mentioning. I am not one of those people who complain about the camera controls or the lighting. I come into movies with an expectation to be entertained not looking for a technical & mechanical masterpiece. I could care less about the lighting as long as the it isn't in the way & the story is good.
Okay now one to the good parts: 1. There were 2 high famous music entertainers in the story; Chris Brown & T.I. Where other directors would have tried to make them the focal piece of the story & have them in every scene. This director used them as supporting cast members & it played out beautifully. Each had about a 30 min scene where they shined & the story focused on them. Chris Brown (Jesse) had a great chase scene where he is jumping over cars & doing acrobatic flips. Very entertaining. T.I (Ghost) has a very big ending where he is great.
2. Action Action Action. While I know this story has been done a few times this summer in their defense this movie was slated to come out to come out last year but T.I went to jail so it was pushed back a year. So I can't fault them for that. The action was great. Blowing streets, lots of gun shots, & killing. Just great.
3. Lack of character development. I hate movies that spend 1hr over explaining things. Action movies are about actions. If I want deep character development I will go watch a chic flick. So while I think more character development could have been done, I am happy it wasn't to some extent.
4. The cast was amazing. Marianna Jean- Baptiste, Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Paul Walker, Matt Dillion & etc all were great. No one dropped the ball. Each character was believable & showed off their talents.
So in short... this is a good movie. Don't go in expecting anything but an opportunity to be entertained & you will love it.
Parkour
princpauper8 December 2010
Actually, a sub-par heist movie, but entertaining enough. I found the first heist more enjoyable to watch than the second which held no surprises for me. The first pokes fun at local television crew types which the writers apparently find predictable, stupid and gullible.
The plot and characters are not memorable, but as I said entertaining. What really impressed me about the film was the use of Parkour by the Chris Brown character. They brought it down from the rooftops of Europe down to the busy streets of Los Angeles. This free running art was used to go through a subway station, a park, a commercial building and through moving traffic. To me Parkour is much more exciting than a car chase. The one unbelievable part was that the the two cops, played by Dillon and Hernandez, could keep up the chase without being trained in the art. It was not the best Parkour I have seen in a movie, but I applaud the effort and it made watching the film worth it and for a while suspenseful.
The plot and characters are not memorable, but as I said entertaining. What really impressed me about the film was the use of Parkour by the Chris Brown character. They brought it down from the rooftops of Europe down to the busy streets of Los Angeles. This free running art was used to go through a subway station, a park, a commercial building and through moving traffic. To me Parkour is much more exciting than a car chase. The one unbelievable part was that the the two cops, played by Dillon and Hernandez, could keep up the chase without being trained in the art. It was not the best Parkour I have seen in a movie, but I applaud the effort and it made watching the film worth it and for a while suspenseful.
Take this Taker to the Cleaners: *
edwagreen26 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The chase scenes and shootings are exciting but other than that the plot goes nowhere due to some very bad writing.
Yes, the theory goes that there is no honor among thieves, but this overly violent film is just too much to take.
There is so much double crossing here that I don't know where to start. Matt Dillon, a very good actor, plays a cop here who discovers that his partner has stolen money. In chasing thieves, Dillon takes his young daughter along. Why didn't he at least drop her off?
Hell hath no fury as when the Russian mob is scorned and they plot revenge.
No one can be trusted in this film and with the writing the way it is, that is so true.
Yes, the theory goes that there is no honor among thieves, but this overly violent film is just too much to take.
There is so much double crossing here that I don't know where to start. Matt Dillon, a very good actor, plays a cop here who discovers that his partner has stolen money. In chasing thieves, Dillon takes his young daughter along. Why didn't he at least drop her off?
Hell hath no fury as when the Russian mob is scorned and they plot revenge.
No one can be trusted in this film and with the writing the way it is, that is so true.
Take It Or Leave It
siberianflashhusky21 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
When I saw the previews for Takers, I was immediately taken in by the cast itself. Just one of those names would have drawn my attention, but grouping all of the actors together, snapped me in. I insisted on seeing it. The theatre was fairly packed, and when we left, it seemed that everyone was happy with the movie. Most of the audience couldn't seem to stop talking about it when it was over; and everyone cheered during Hayden's fight scene.
I did really enjoy the movie. I thought the acting was fair. The story decent and a bit different than I normally watch. The death scenes -- although this may sound strange -- I thought they were beautiful. The montage during the huge shooting scene was absolutely stunning. The only complaint I had about the movie was that the camera work was a little too shaky and made it hard to watch some parts.
Overall, I thought the movie was good. I would certainly watch it again, and it is one I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good action movie without expecting too much from the genre.
For anyone who enjoys this movie, I also recommend: Four Brothers and Fast & Furious Series (F&F if you are a Paul Walker fan).
Acting - 7/10 Story - 7/10 Camera - 4/10
I did really enjoy the movie. I thought the acting was fair. The story decent and a bit different than I normally watch. The death scenes -- although this may sound strange -- I thought they were beautiful. The montage during the huge shooting scene was absolutely stunning. The only complaint I had about the movie was that the camera work was a little too shaky and made it hard to watch some parts.
Overall, I thought the movie was good. I would certainly watch it again, and it is one I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good action movie without expecting too much from the genre.
For anyone who enjoys this movie, I also recommend: Four Brothers and Fast & Furious Series (F&F if you are a Paul Walker fan).
Acting - 7/10 Story - 7/10 Camera - 4/10
I got what I wanted from this, ENTERTAINMET
jejohnson224425 September 2010
If there is one thing movies are missing now and days, it's entertainment. Yeah this might be your average ordinary movie, but it gave extraordinary measures to an ordinary plot. I've seen this a thousand times but for once the director actually tries to invent something new with this and to be quite honest it worked. So for me it was predictable BUT it gave me one thing I will always want from a motion picture, ENTERTAINMENT so just sit back, relax don't think and loose yourself because taken is a new school black exportation not to be reckoned with, so have fun because takers will have you taken for a ride of entertainment. Enjoy!!:)
A GQ ad on speed
Simon_Says_Movies27 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Envision a GQ ad on speed with a dash of The Italian Job and you will have a good idea of what Takers has to offer. Though a slick and mostly kinetic heist flick, there is not a single frame of the entire running length that has not been borrowed from another, usually better, film. I don't consider it a spoiler to reveal that the structure of the central robbery is identical to that of The Italian Job, down to the street- erupting armoured car interception and traffic light tampering. You would think that with all the talent drifting through Hollywood that they could come up with an original caper at least. Actually, never mind.
Stealing eye-rolls along with cash, Takers also piles on a heap of clichés: the obsessive detective, the agile parkour thief, the robber who "is never going back to prison" and of course for good measure the "takers" walk away from an explosion in slow motion, Armani ties flapping in the breeze. Despite an utterly unoriginal premise, Takers remains quite entertaining for the first three quarters, running at a breezy pace with some flashy scuffles and gunfights. It is in the final act things not only turn dumb but oddly depressing for what preceded it was essentially escapist fun.
The cast is a slap-dash of rappers and actors, the most notable of the former is obviously Chris Brown who got some bad press around the film's original release date when he got into a, cough, "argument" with singer Rihanna. The standout by far is Idris Elba employing his natural British accent to smooth effect. Takers makes the second film released this weekend to star a cast member from HBO's The Wire, the other being Dominic West who you can find in Neil Marshall's Centurion. Zoe Zaldana also pops up but has the definition of a nothing role. She has all of two minutes screen time and a maximum of five lines, but hey, every movie needs a little eye-candy.
Takers ramps into a robbery right off the start, finding a gang of savvy thieves including Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown, Michael Ealy and Idris Elba laying siege to a bank with a nifty escape plan. They plan all of their heists thoroughly, always have an out and never pull off two jobs within the same year. The day of, a former partner of those known as Ghost (another rapper, this time T.I.) is released from prison and contacts his old gang. He lets them into the loop on a "one time job" involving a rather large withdrawal from an armored truck. But with Det. Jack Wells (Matt Dillon) and his partner Lt. Carver (ironically the name of a character from The Wire) still hot on their trail from the last robbery, they break their rules and things begin to go wrong.
This is only T.I.'s second acting job following a small role in American Gangster and he is not bad in the role. Unfortunately, his accented "gangsta" speak begins to wear towards the finale which when compounded with the endings other issues make for a forgettable prominent debut. It is almost as if director John Lussenhop was trying to create a more sophisticated film than the material allowed. Featuring plenty of gloss but little spark, Takers feels right at home in the dog days of summer. In hindsight this gang of bandits should have stolen themselves a better script instead of other films' ideas.
Stealing eye-rolls along with cash, Takers also piles on a heap of clichés: the obsessive detective, the agile parkour thief, the robber who "is never going back to prison" and of course for good measure the "takers" walk away from an explosion in slow motion, Armani ties flapping in the breeze. Despite an utterly unoriginal premise, Takers remains quite entertaining for the first three quarters, running at a breezy pace with some flashy scuffles and gunfights. It is in the final act things not only turn dumb but oddly depressing for what preceded it was essentially escapist fun.
The cast is a slap-dash of rappers and actors, the most notable of the former is obviously Chris Brown who got some bad press around the film's original release date when he got into a, cough, "argument" with singer Rihanna. The standout by far is Idris Elba employing his natural British accent to smooth effect. Takers makes the second film released this weekend to star a cast member from HBO's The Wire, the other being Dominic West who you can find in Neil Marshall's Centurion. Zoe Zaldana also pops up but has the definition of a nothing role. She has all of two minutes screen time and a maximum of five lines, but hey, every movie needs a little eye-candy.
Takers ramps into a robbery right off the start, finding a gang of savvy thieves including Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown, Michael Ealy and Idris Elba laying siege to a bank with a nifty escape plan. They plan all of their heists thoroughly, always have an out and never pull off two jobs within the same year. The day of, a former partner of those known as Ghost (another rapper, this time T.I.) is released from prison and contacts his old gang. He lets them into the loop on a "one time job" involving a rather large withdrawal from an armored truck. But with Det. Jack Wells (Matt Dillon) and his partner Lt. Carver (ironically the name of a character from The Wire) still hot on their trail from the last robbery, they break their rules and things begin to go wrong.
This is only T.I.'s second acting job following a small role in American Gangster and he is not bad in the role. Unfortunately, his accented "gangsta" speak begins to wear towards the finale which when compounded with the endings other issues make for a forgettable prominent debut. It is almost as if director John Lussenhop was trying to create a more sophisticated film than the material allowed. Featuring plenty of gloss but little spark, Takers feels right at home in the dog days of summer. In hindsight this gang of bandits should have stolen themselves a better script instead of other films' ideas.
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