TAKERS — ★1/2 — Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker; rated PG-13 (violence, profanity, brief gore, brief sex, brief partial nudity, brief drugs); in general release
"Takers" is a pretty fitting name for a movie that swipes its only good moves from earlier, better heist thrillers and other classic films.
That includes an obvious homage to 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which its target audience probably hasn't seen.
Unfortunately, the overly derivative, familiar and predictable nature of the crime thriller's lamebrained plot isn't its only problem.
It also boasts terrible performances, even from the more experienced members of its cast.
The title characters are a group of professional thieves, led by Gordon Jennings (Idris Elba).
They've just netted millions off a tricky bank robbery, but a former pal, Ghost (Tip "T.I." Harris), tells them there's an even bigger score waiting for them. He's just been released from prison, though, so Gordon's second-in-command, John Rahway (Paul Walker), is pretty skeptical.
Worse, there's a determined cop, Jack Welles (Matt Dillon), who's just one step behind them and who may have evidence connecting Gordon to the earlier crime.
If you didn't know better, you'd swear that co-screenwriter/director John Luessenhop was trying to make us sympathize more with the criminals than with the cops.
(A subplot even casts some doubts as to the nobility of Jack and his partner, played by Jay Hernandez).
In the meantime, Elba's Gordon is shown as having a conscience and as being concerned about his drug-addled sister (Marianne Jean-Baptiste).
Elba ("The Losers") doesn't seem too inspired by either this role or this material, though. But he is still better than the wooden Walker and musicians-turned-actors Harris and Chris Brown.
"Takers" is rated PG-13 and features strong violent content and imagery (gunplay and shootings, fisticuffs and beatings, explosive and fiery mayhem, automotive mayhem, and violence against women, mostly implied), occasional strong profanity, brief blood and gore, a brief sex scene (mostly implied), brief partial male nudity, brief drug references (narcotics), some off-color language and references (slang), derogatory language and slurs, and a sequence depicting violent interrogation and police brutality. Running time: 107 minutes.
e-mail: jeff@desnews.com