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| IMDB.Com. Fair Use/Review |
Tower Heist
released 11/4/2011
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Relativity Media
Synopsis:
Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) manages the staff of a large and hugely upscale building known as the Tower. The Penthouse is occupied by Shaw and he is a staff favorite. One day, Shaw is arrested for securities fraud or some other Wall-Street-Type criminal behavior and as in the Madoff ponzi scheme everyone who invested with him is screwed. That includes the building's staff. One employee attempts suicide. Josh loses his temper with Shaw and gets fired. The FBI agent on the case gives him an idea when she says Shaw is going to walk and they haven't found his nest egg of twenty million dollars.Thinking it must still be in the apartment Kovacs launches a scheme with some fellow employees and Slide (Eddie Murphy), a petty thief Kovacs knew as a child. Nothing goes as planned.
Imagine four well-known comic actors, Alan Alda (also a serious actor), Matthew Broderick, Eddie Murphy, and Ben Stiller supported by a good cast of both new and seasoned actors, including Gabourey Sidibe, Judd Hirsch, Casey Affleck, Michael Peña, Téa Leone. There are some major talents here—we should roll in aisles with laughter. And, there are some really good laughs, but not the rolling on the floor laughs films by these talents have previously wrought. The best line (not a spoiler) is spoken by Matthew Broderick's character, Mr. Fitzhugh:
"You brought a stolen truck to a robbery?"
But my impression was that these actors had lost their edge. Something has made their timing less perfect, or made their instincts less acute. Edgy is not a word I would use to describe this movie. Of the main characters, Matthew Broderick did the most actual acting. Eddie Murphy reprised his early career character from 48 Hours. Ben Stiller pretty much has Zoolander and Ben Stiller in his repertoire. Since this wasn't a fashion shoot we got Ben Stiller. For Affleck and Sidibe the jury is still out. Neither had roles large enough for me to tell you much about their characterization. They were both somewhat convincing in their roles as a safe-cracking housemaid and the concierge of a large building. Alan Alda has a thing where he now takes an "elder statesmen" approach. Although here he does bring in hubris dressed up as wisdom for the role.
"You brought a stolen truck to a robbery?"
But my impression was that these actors had lost their edge. Something has made their timing less perfect, or made their instincts less acute. Edgy is not a word I would use to describe this movie. Of the main characters, Matthew Broderick did the most actual acting. Eddie Murphy reprised his early career character from 48 Hours. Ben Stiller pretty much has Zoolander and Ben Stiller in his repertoire. Since this wasn't a fashion shoot we got Ben Stiller. For Affleck and Sidibe the jury is still out. Neither had roles large enough for me to tell you much about their characterization. They were both somewhat convincing in their roles as a safe-cracking housemaid and the concierge of a large building. Alan Alda has a thing where he now takes an "elder statesmen" approach. Although here he does bring in hubris dressed up as wisdom for the role.
There is an obvious corelation between Alan Alda's character and Bernie Madoff. If you were one of Bernie Madoff's victims I am not sure how many or how hilarious the laughs would need to be so this was not rubbing salt in the wounds.
While not a bad movie, neither does it rise to the level of funny I expected from these actors. It was not a good value for the amount I spent on the tickets and popcorn. It will make a great watch on HBO or as a DVD.
