Review: "STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH" is Darker Than Ever

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 82 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Running time:  140 minutes (2 hours, 20 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some intense images

DIRECTOR:  George Lucas

WRITER:  George Lucas

PRODUCER:  Rick McCallum

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  David Tattersall (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Roger Barton and Ben Burtt

COMPOSER:  John Williams

Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE and WAR/THRILLER

Starring:  Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, (voice) Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Silas Carson, Ahmed Best, and Kenny Baker

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American science fiction, war, action, and epic space opera film from writer-director George Lucas.  It is the sixth film in the Star Wars film franchise, which began with 1977's Star Wars.  Revenge of the Sith is chronologically the third film in the “Skywalker Saga,” and is a direct sequel to the second film in the saga, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.  Revenge of the Sith opens near the end of the Clone Wars, as a Jedi Master pursues a new threat, while his former apprentice is lured into a sinister plot for galactic domination.

George Lucas had access to digital cameras, computer generated images, or CGI, and better special effects for his Star Wars prequel trilogy, technology he didn’t have when he made his original trilogy.  Still, after the first two films of the prequel trilogy, it was obvious that the newer series lacked the heart of the original series.  It didn’t seem to resonate with audiences, critics, and hardcore Star Wars fans the way the original had.

That changes with the closing film of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.  Revenge of the Sith is about three times the film that Episodes I and II are, at least the second half of Sith is.  The first hour gets bogged down in those SFX that Lucas loves so much and that, because of his over reliance on them, hurt the first two prequel films, but this time improved digital photography makes the merger of the real and CGI appear seamless.  Watch this film and you realize that Lucas has learned one thing – make it look so good that they don’t see the smoke dissipating and the mirrors crack.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith opens three years after the events depicted in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.  The war between the Republic and the separatist’s droid army is at a standstill.  Led by General Grievous, the separatists have laid siege to the Republic’s capitol home world, and Grievous is holding the Republic’s leader, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), hostage.  The Jedi heroes, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), arrive just in time to rescue the Chancellor.  After Anakin rescues him, the Machiavellian Palpatine, who has always taken an interest in the young Jedi hero, entices Anakin to become closer to him and takes him into his confidence.

As Jedi leaders, Obi-Wan, Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) try to hold the Republic together and defeat the separatists.  Meanwhile, Anakin begins his journey to the Dark Side, putting his friendship with Obi-Wan and his marriage to his wife, Padmé (Natalie Portman), who is pregnant, at risk.

The CGI (computer generated imagery) and special effects blend in so well with the real actors and (what there is of it) props, better than they have in previous Star Wars films, perhaps because the film was shot using digital cameras.  Don’t know, but I know the film looks darn good.  Beautiful cinematography, riveting battle scenes set deep in space, over great cities, and in exotic alien locales.  Maybe, Lucas decided that Star Wars films work best when they look like the kind of video games that really click with gamers – tight story, but even tighter action.  Don’t let drama get in the way of great duels, spectacular battles, and awesome explosions.

The acting is shaky, and the actors deliver 98 percent of the mediocre dialogue in a mantra-like neutral monotone.  Hayden Christensen waffles between acceptable and lame.  Ewan McGregor is about the same as before.  Samuel L. Jackson and Natalie Portman were better than I’d heard in early reviews of this film (at least to me).  Ian McDiarmid is suave and deliciously evil as the Supreme Chancellor; he’s the great villain as superb cinematic dessert.  Sadly, only the CGI Yoda matches the intensity that McDiarmid brings to his performance as the wicked Palpatine.

I won’t blame it all on the actors because it’s not as if the plot, script, and concept often make sense.  Anakin is lame, unlikable, and whiny.  The Jedi, at least the prequel version, aren’t as bright and as perceptive as one would assume of a group that wields such power; they certainly don’t have their shit together.  Watch them interact with Anakin, and this whole “chosen one” thing just seems like malarkey; he doesn’t act like one, and the rest of the Jedi certainly don’t seem like they know how to handle one or at least monitor one.

Still, in spite of shaky internal logic and the senses-shattering siege of digital glory, Revenge of the Sith is, not only the best of the prequels, it competes with Return of the  Jedi to be the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back.  It’s fun, and the second half is so thrilling that it makes up for a meandering first half full of overdone effects.  It’s tragic.  It’s dark, and it sweetly unites the prequel trilogy with the original, answering some old questions and justifying some of the revisions Lucas has been putting the original series through for two and a half decades.  It’s a grand finish, and if you’ve ever seen the 1977 film, Star Wars, or any other Star Wars film, then you must also see this one.

I must add that Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is my favorite of the prequel films for nostalgic reasons.  It is the only Star Wars film that I watched with a group of friends, whereas I saw the others alone.

It is not that this is a great film, and it’s more skillful than artful.  This is simply the best that a Star Wars prequel film could be.  Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is the one that brings balance to the Force.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

May 22, 2005

Reedited and rewritten:  Tuesday, April 22, 2025

NOTES:

2006 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Makeup” (Dave Elsey and Nikki Gooley)

2006 Grammy Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media” (John Williams)

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES" is Stuffed with Spectacle

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 93 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)

Running time:  142 minutes (2 hours, 22 minutes)

MPAA – PG for sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence

DIRECTOR:  George Lucas

WRITERS:  Jonathan Hales and George Lucas; from a story by George Lucas

PRODUCER:  Rick McCallum

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  David Tattersall (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Ben Burtt with George Lucas

COMPOSER:  John Williams

Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/WAR

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz (voice), Ian McDiarmid, Temuera Morrison, Jimmy Smits, Ahmed Best (voice), and Anthony Daniels & Kenny Baker

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American science fiction, war, action, and epic space opera film from director George Lucas.  It is the fifth film in the “Star Wars” film franchise, which began with 1977's Star Wars.  Attack of the Clones is chronologically the second film in the “Skywalker Saga,” and is a direct sequel to the first film in the saga, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.  Attack of the Clones finds a Jedi Master investigating the mystery behind a secret clone army allegedly created at the behest of the Jedi, while his young Jedi apprentice engages in romance forbidden by the Jedi Order.

What a difference a year makes.  When I first saw Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones in theaters last year, I hated it.  Now a year later, I’ve watched it on home video, and the movie sure seems a lot better.  Attack of the Clones is the second of three prequels to Star Wars, the 1977 film that had two sequels.  The prequels, of which includes this film and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, are the backstory to Star Wars, what happened before the 1977 film that is now called Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.  For one thing, the plot of Episode II is much better than Episode I’s plot.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones begins something like 10 years after Menace.  Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is now the Padawan learner (apprentice) to his master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).  The Jedi Council assigns master and student to guard Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), who has had two close attempts on her life.

While Anakin guards Amidala, Kenobi rushes across the galaxy to track the assassin who targeted her, a bounty hunter named Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison).  Kenobi discovers a mysterious Clone Army supposedly ordered ten years earlier by representatives of the galactic Republic.  That is just the outer strand of an ever-widening web of mystery and intrigue that began with an attempt on Amidala’s life.  Meanwhile, Anakin and Amidala are dangerously falling in love against a backdrop of political turmoil.

There are two holdovers from The Phantom Menace that I had hoped would not make it to Clones, mediocre acting and wooden dialogue.  Although the actors seem more comfortable and there is a tad bit more rhythm to the acting, the performances are still too stiff and formal and the dialogue is delivered in an awkward fashion as if everyone in the cast were rank-amateurs.  Sometimes I get the feeling that director/creator George Lucas thinks he’s making some great sprawling British epic film in the vein of Sir David Lean, so all of his actors’ speeches must be affected.  It just comes across as fake.

The action sequences and fight scenes are good, especially the Yoda (voice of Frank Oz) and Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) lightsaber duel, which has to be seen to be believed.  I never knew Yoda had it in him.  The special effects in The Phantom Menace were impressive, but no thanks to The Matrix, released the same year, the SFX in The Phantom Menace suddenly seemed dated, compared to the revolutionary work in The Matrix.  The SFX are still good in Attack of the Clones, and there is so much of it; sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between what’s live action and what’s computer-generated.  However, Star Wars SFX is no longer as awe-inspiring as it once was; now it comes across as looking like the effects in a really good video game.

The film does have the feel of a sprawling epic, but Lucas’s direction hops around too much.  He seems uncomfortable dealing with emotion and love in his story lines.  He doesn’t have to turn on the waterworks as if this was some Technicolor melodramatic weepy, but he should give the actors enough screen time to make the emotions palatable.  Before any kind of mood can be established, Lucas is racing off to the next battle scene.  He comfortable staging awesome battles filled war machines of the most fantastic and imaginative designs.  However, his “character moments” feel as if he shoehorned them in, if only to remind his audience that this is supposed to be the love story of Anakin and Amidala that would later lead to such tragedy and heartbreak.  Before any heat can generate, he drops the personal moments like soiled diapers and is off to the next videogame-style battle scene.

Still, Star Wars fans should like Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (which Disney renamed Star Wars: Attack of the Clones) for the most part, and I imagine that it will hold up over time.  I know Star Wars fans always have such high hopes.  However, after the first two prequels, I think we should understand that the films are meant simply to enforce brand awareness and sell merchandise.  Any pretense to cinematic art is just that – a pretense...

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

RE-edited with some rewriting:  Monday, April 21, 2025

NOTES:

2003 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Visual Effects” (Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll,and Ben Snow)

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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A "Star Wars" Link-o-Rama 2022 by Negromancer - Update #47

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

NEWS AND RUMORS: 

MARVEL COMICS - From BleedingCool:  The site has news on Marvel Comics' 2023 plans for its line of "Star Wars" comic books.

FUTURE - From Deadline:   After he is finished directing "Deadpool 3" and working on the final episodes of Netflix's "Stranger Things," Shawn Levy will reportedly direct a "Star Wars" film for Lucasfilm.

ANDOR - From CBR:  Season 2 of "Star Wars: Andor" begins production Monday, Nov. 21, 2022.

FUTURE - From THR:  Apparently, Damon Lindelof ("Lost," "Watchmen") and rising screenwriting star, Justin Britt-Gibson, are writing a Star Wars movie set after the 2015-19 sequel trilogy.  Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is reportedly set to direct. December 2025 is apparently the earliest date the film would arrive.

EPISODE VI - From SFGate:   The artist Marilee Heyer helped create the look for Princess Leia in "Return of the Jedi," and she wants to finally get credit and recognition.

DARTH VADER - From ScreenRant:  Actor James Earl Jones has apparently retired as the voice of Darth Vader, which has been performing since the original film, "Star Wars" (1977).  He has assigned his voice rights to Lucasfilm and Ukranian A.I. audio company, Respeecher.

ANDOR - From RollingStone:  Showrunner Tony Gilroy and stars Diego Luna and Genevieve O’Reilly tell "Rolling Stone" why the latest Disney+ show, "Star Wars: Andor," paves new ground for the saga.

ROGUE SQUADRON - From TheWrap:  Director Patty Jenkins' "Star Wars" film, "Rogue Squadron," has pulled from Disney's release schedule.  The film was due for Dec. 2023.

TALES OF THE JEDI - From Variety:  D23 Expo reveals the six-episode first season of the new animated Star Wars series, "Tales of the Jedi."  Each episode will be 15 minutes long and will debut October 26th on Disney+.

From TheWrap:  D23 reveals new footage from "The Mandalorian" Season 3 and Baby Yoda/Grogu is back.

THE ACOLYTE - From Deadline:  "Squid Game" star, Lee Jung-jae, will play the male lead in the Disney+ "Star Wars" series, "The Acolyte."

THE LAST JEDI - From IGN:  Director Rian Johnson says he's "even more proud" of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" on its fifth anniversary than he was when it first came out.

JOHN BOYEGA - From Variety:  John Boyea, who plays "Finn" in "Star Wars" Episodes VII to IX, says that he is done with the franchise.

ANDOR - From Deadline:  The "Rogue One" spinoff, "Andor," has a new trailer.  It will debut on Disney+ on Sept. 21st, 2022 with the premiere of the first three episodes.

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Star Wars" titles for October 2022 are revealed.

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Amandla Stenberg ("The Hate U Give") is reportedly playing the lead the upcoming "Star Wars" streaming series, "The Acolyte."  The Disney+ series will be set during the final days of the "High Republic" era.

COLLECTIBLES - From Gizmodo:  EFX Collectibles is showing off its animatronic Baby Yoda/Grogu.  Article includes a YouTube link.

FANDOM - From Variety:  Actor Simon Pegg says "Star Wars" fandom is the "most toxic at the moment."

STAR WARS - From IndieWire:  "A Nightmare on Elm Street" star, Robert Englund, talks about helping his friend Mark Hamill land an audition for "Star Wars."

SKELETON CREW - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Jude Law will headline a Disney+ Star Wars series, entitled "Skeleton Crew."  The series is from "Spider-Man" director, Jon Watts, and writer, Christopher Ford.

OBI-WAN - From ScreenRant:  The "Star Wars" Twitter feed takes on social media racism in defending "Obi-Wan Kenobi" actress, Moses Ingram, who plays the Imperial Inquisitor, "Reva Sevander."

EPISODE V - From THR:  The late Irwin Kershner, the director of "The Empire Strikes Back," had the perfect retort for those who complained about the film's ending. The film opened to U.S. theaters 42 years ago yesterday, May 21st.

OBI-WAN - From VanityFair:   The magazine gets a behind-the-scenes look at three upcoming Disney+ "Star Wars series from Lucasfilm, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," "Andor," and "Ahsoka."

THE ACOLYTE - From WeGotThisCovered:  The site has production and story details and more on "Star Wars: The Acolyte," the Star Wars project from "Russian Doll" co-creator Leslye Headland.

OBI-WAN - From Variety:  The release date of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" has been moved from Wednesday, May 25th to two days later, Friday, May 27th.  However, Disney+ will release the first two episodes that day rather than just release the first episode as planned.

From EW:  Hayden Christensen gives an interview to "Entertainment Weekly" and says that it is a great honor to put the "Darth Vader" suit back on for the new series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

THE MANDALORIAN - From THR:  Actor Christopher Lloyd (the "Back to the Future" series) will guest star in the third season of the Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian."  There is currently no release date for the series' return.

OBI-WAN - From THR:  At one point, "Obi-Wan Kenobi's" production was halted and the show was overhauled.  Reportedly, one of the characters that did not make it to the revamped story is Darth Maul.  Ray Park who played the character in "Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace," had returned to play the character, but his scenes were reportedly cut.

From Deadline:  Disney has unleashed the first trailer for "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

From EW:  The magazine has exclusive first-look photos from the Disney+ series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

From EW:  Get a first look at Ewan McGregor as "Obi-Wan Kenobi" on the April 2022 cover of "Entertainment Weekly," the last print issue of the magazine (after 32 years) before it becomes an all-digital media brand.

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OBITS - From Deadline:  In 1973, Alan Ladd, Jr., then head of 20th Century Fox, signed a deal with George Lucas to write and direct "Star Wars," died at the age of 84, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  A preview of 3 covers and 6 interior pages from Marvel's "Star Wars: The High Republic #15," which is due in comic shops March 2nd, 2022.

THE MANDALORIAN - From StarWars:  Marvel Comics has announced a comic book adaptation of the Disney" series, "The Mandalorian."  The eight issue series will adapt each of the first season's eight episodes.  Rodney Barnes ("Killadelphai") will write and Georges Jeanty will draw.

OBI-WAN KENOBI - From Variety: Legendary film music composer and Oscar-winning "Star Wars" music master, John Williams, is writing the theme music for the Disney+ series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

From Variety:  The next Disney+ "Star Wars" series has a premiere date.  "Obi-Wan Kenobi" will premiere May 25th, 2022, which is also the 45th anniversary of the premier of the original "Star Wars" (1977).

AHSOKA - From THR:  Actor Ray Stevenson of the History Channel's "Vikings," has joined the cast of the Disney+/Lucasfilm series, "Ahsoka."

LUKE SKYWALKER - From Esquire:   "The Unbridled and Mildly Horrifying Evolution of CGI Luke Skywalker" by Brady Langmann.  And he has a synthesized voice.

MARVEL COMICS - From StarWars:  "Star Wars: Obi-Wan" is a new five-issue miniseries that will launch in May and is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Ario Anindito.

From BleedingCool:  The site has a 7-cover; 6-page preview of "Star Wars: Crimson Reign #2," which is due Wed., Feb. 2nd.

From BleedingCool:  The site has a 5-cover, 6-page preview of "Star Wars: The Halcyon Legacy #1," which is due Wed., Feb. 2nd.

From BleedingCool:  The site has a 3-cover, 5-page preview of "Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows #4," which is due shops on Wed., Jan. 26th.

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AHSOKA - From THR:  Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is joining Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen in the budding cast of the Disney+/Lucasfilm series, "Ahsoka."

From THR:  Hayden Christensen will reprise his role of "Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader" in the Disney+/Lucasfilm live-action series, "Ahsoka."

MARVEL COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Here is a look at Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" comic book solicitations for April 2022.

BOBA FETT - From IGN:  "The Book of Boba Fett" star Temuera Morrison talks about filming that "Sarlacc pit scene" from the first episode of the series.

MARVEL COMICS - From BleedingCool:  In March 2022, writer Marc Guggenheim and artist David Messina launch a new ongoing "Star Wars" comic book, "Han Solo & Chewbacca."

EPISODE VI - From Deadline: "Return of the Jedi" is among 25 films that the Library of Congress has added to the "National Film Registry" for 2021.

COMIC BOOK NEWS:

From ComicBook:  A preview of Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: Crimson Reign #4" (April 27th) featuring the Knights of Ren.

From BleedingCool:  Here is a list of "Star Wars" related comic book titles shipping from Marvel in July 2022

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STAR WARS Movie Reviews:

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars"
From Negromancer:  "The Empire Strikes Back"
From Negromancer:  "Return of the Jedi"

From Negromancer:   "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Force Awakens
From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (2008 animated film)
From Negromancer:  "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
From Negromancer:  "Solo: A Star Wars Story" 

I Reads You "Star Wars Central" comics and graphic novel review page is here.

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Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

"Outcast" with Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen Opens February 6th, 2015

On February 6th, Entertainment One (eOne) is set to release Outcast in select theaters! The film packs an all-star cast, including Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen.

IN THEATERS: FEBRUARY 6, 2015

DIRECTOR: Nicholas Powell
WRITER: James Dormer

PRODUCERS:
Alan Zhang (Waiting in Beijing)
Jeremy Bolt (Shopping, Event Horizon, Resident Evil, The Dark)
Christopher Milburn (An American Haunting, Getaway, Transit)
Karine Martin (Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story)
Gary Hamilton (Lord of War, The Bank Job, Predestination)
Ye Ying (Three Kingdoms, 14 Blades, The Four)
George Mizen (The Holding)
Léonard Glowinski (The Diving Bell & the Butterfly, Unknown, Alexander)
Xun Zhang (CJ7,  Forever Enthralled,  The Founding of A Republic)

CAST: Nicolas Cage,Hayden Christensen, Yifei Liu
RUNNING TIME: 98 Minutes
RATING: Not rated

SYNOPSIS:
When the heir of the Imperial throne becomes the target of an assassination by his despised older brother, the young prince must flee the kingdom and seek protection. His only hope for survival is a reluctant war-weary crusader named Jacob, who must overcome his own personal demons and rally the assistance of a mythical outlaw known as The White Ghost. Together they must fight side by side in an epic battle to return the prince to his rightful place on the throne.

Trailer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seRWrLzOHUg&list=UUKblsekljxEoeYXDwHb_peQ

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Review: "Takers" Brings Heat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Takers (2010)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for intense sequences of violence and action, a sexual situation/partial nudity
DIRECTOR: John Luessenhop
WRITERS: Peter Allen, Gabriel Casseus, John Luessenhop, and Avery Duff
PRODUCERS: Jason Geter, William Packer, and Tip “T.I.” Harris
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Barrett (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Armen Minasian

CRIME/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring: Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy, T.I., Jay Hernandez, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Zoe Saldana, Steve Harris, Gaius Charles, Johnathan Schaech, and Glynn Turman

Arriving in theatres last August 2010, Takers is an ensemble crime drama that focuses on a seasoned team of professional bank robbers and the hard-nosed detective that is hunting them. Though not great, Takers is nonetheless an exciting little heist movie that manages to walk its own way, while showing its influences.

Gordon Cozier (Idris Elba), John Rahway (Paul Walker), A.J. (Hayden Christensen), and brothers Jake Attica (Michael Ealy) and Jesse Attica (Chris Brown) are a highly-organized team of bank robbers. They describe themselves a “takers,” because they see something they want and they take it. After shocking Los Angeles with their latest heist, they plan to lead a life of luxury for a long time before taking on their next job.

They get a surprise, however, from former team member, Dalonte Rivers A.KA. Ghost (Tip “T.I.” Harris). Caught in a previous robbery five years earlier, Ghost received an early release from prison and is on parole. Claiming he harbors no ill will towards his former teammates, Ghost convinces them that now is the right time to strike an armored car carrying $20 million. The “takers” carefully plot out their strategy and draw nearer to the day of the heist, but their activities have brought a reckless, rule-breaking police officer named Jack Welles (Matt Dillon) closer to learning their identities. As Welles and his partner, Eddie Hatcher (Jay Hernandez), get closer, things get crazy and new players move into the game.

Early on in the film, I recognized Takers as a sort of urban contemporary take on Michael Mann’s influential heist flick, Heat (1995), but Takers isn’t the complex and insightful character study that Mann’s film is. Takers’ characters are either shallow (John, A.J.), potential poorly executed (Ghost), or well-developed, but shorted on time (Jack Welles, Gordon Cozier).

Takers moves quickly and has a cool, slick visual manner befitting an L.A. crime film. Gripping set pieces open the film, straddle the film’s middle, and close the film, all of which make this work very well as an action movie. Takers is a thrill to watch. It’s a shame that the writing on the character side isn’t stronger, because that is pretty much what keeps Takers from being an exceptional action and crime film. Still, Takers is better than most recent crime films, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel or even a prequel.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

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