The Film
As a sucker for heist films I look past the complexity of the job, put suspension of disbelief on full and just like to see how the crew makes the big score. After 107 minutes of Takers, it is apparent the real heist was of the viewer's time. But the makers of this one also apparently stole from numerous other films - taking a key plot point from The Italian Job, and actually mentioning the film by name!
Takers includes a daring bank heist that evokes Heat, with an interesting aerial twist, a foot chase that was as intense as Point Break, and a gang on gang shootout reminiscent of True Romance (which technically wasn't even a heist film). Before ending it further throws in enough heist film clichés for two more films. While this one boasts quite a cast, neither the well dressed "takers" (Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown and Hayden Christensen) nor the dressed down cops on their trail (Matt Dillon and Jay Hernandez) are really that believable - or worse, likeable. Who should we be rooting for is never clear, and too much bad acting, along with forced dialog, just steals from the premise. In the end the audience is really the one taken.
The Picture
The bad life however, never looked so good. The pretty (bad) boy crew has money, nice cars, stylish threads and all the finer things in life, all of which will turn heads in this 2.40:1 1080p presentation. From the tattoos of key characters to the subtle visuals this film captures all of it with excellent clarity. In fact, maybe the fantastic visuals of the City of Angles and the various scenes just further make it clear how bad the story actually is.
The Sound
As an action film Takers has some thunderous moments, but a key shootout sequence is actually (and wisely) toned down, with a stirring musical score (which sounds like it was boosted from Dead Can Dance) setting the mood. The rest of the film is truly about excess, and the sound effects come through as expected. But there is little in the way of subtlety, and even in those more "intense" moments the sound just isn't there, and that is a shame as it could have helped further intensify those situations.
The Extras
The viewers aren't exactly robbed when it comes to extras, but this disc does lack the ultimate payday for those who like to get bonus material. There is a commentary with director John Luessenhop, producers Will Packer and Jason Geter, as well as Tip "T.I." Harris, plus a T.I music promo "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)." Other Blu-ray exclusives include a making of that isn't exactly a rip-off but is hardly the score of the century. There is a sequence on the stunts, plus BD-Live and movieIQ+Sync.
Final Thoughts
One problem with Takers is that the filmmakers went for a PG-13 rating in a genre typically filled with R-rated fare. While the dialog is toned down a bit, and proves that F bombs don't need to be dropped endlessly to make a story, the action is still pretty over the top, actually passing believability by the end of the first act. Perhaps the makers knew that adults would find this Heat knock-off a rip-off and opted for the teen audience instead. As a result, that's the best score of them all.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
