Who's In It?

Bruce Willis is Joe, Billy Bob Thornton is Terry and Cate Blanchett is Kate, plus Bobby Slayton 

Who Made It?

Barry Levinson

Where's The Web site?
Bandits

What's It About?

Joe (Willis) and Terry (Thornton) are in prison together serving out their terms, when Joe has a brilliant on the spot idea to break out.  Terry gets unwittingly dragged along and they head out on the road together for a life that no one has figured out just yet.  Joe's dream is a small nightspot in Mexico that he can buy with the right amount of funds.  He enlists Terry to help out with things as Terry can see the vision that Joe has for the future.  Together they become the "sleep-over" bandits.  And they will attempt to leave their mark on towns all over the west coast as they get the money for the dream.

The idea is always better than the reality though, as they find themselves caught up with a hostage/accomplice/straggler in Kate.  You see Kate comes into Joe and Terry's life in a bizarre way, and well, the world will find out if she is along for the ride, or an unwanted straggler.  All they can do is rob banks and work towards their dream.  Whether they get it or not, one thing is for sure, they are bandits.

Common Guy's Thoughts

Many critics don't let you know their bias upfront, but not here...I am a Bruce Willis fan, and have tended to like virtually all of his work.  Going into this film, I had rather high expectations, and I really was not disappointed.  Bandits is a fun romp that is in the realm of a number of action comedies that have come out over the years.  I enjoyed the way that the two characters (Joe and Terry) played off of each other.  It seemed like they have been working for a long time.

The pairing of Willis and Thornton works well together.  As I mentioned, the chemistry between them is evident, and Willis lets Thornton get a number of the laugh lines in the film.  Bruce gets to play his tough guy who's not the most intelligent person around, but who has a knack for knowing what to do.  And Thornton is hysterical at times as the hypochondriac worrywart that is truly the brains behind the operation.

The story features allows for some nice supporting roles for Bobby Slayton as the host of an "America's Most Wanted" type of show and Cate Blanchett as the hostage/accomplice that comes along for the ride.  Blanchett is in a role that is not quite what many are used to seeing her do on film.  This is a role that it looks as if she had a real good time filming.  Slayton is at home as the host of the show that sets the backdrop for a good portion of the film.

Ok, so the story isn't extremely deep.  But the one thing this is, is a fun movie.  We sometimes get so caught up with wanting things to make sense, and plot points that we forget that some films make a lot of sense by just allowing us to have fun.  Bandits lets us have fun, laughing a number of times and following the "sleep-over" bandits on their journey.  Director, Levinson knows how to weave the story with the actors he is using, and also can get some great work out of this cast.. 

As I said in the beginning, I am a Bruce Willis fan.  However, Billy Bob Thornton stole a lot of the show in Bandits.  This is a fun film that combines action, comedy, effects, and maybe even a love story or two.  Don't let these two sleep over at your house, but do visit them in the theater.

Grade

B

Parents Guide

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, language and violence. This is a very typical PG-13 rated film.  There is a bit of language, yet it is not over the top to push things into the R rated realm.  The violence is typical of bank robbers, and there are also some scenes involving an aspiring stunt man that may cause some pause (though they are no worse than things you see on tv).  The sexual content is moderated as well.  This is very well rated as a PG-13. 
 

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