Bandits (2001) Review

Verdict
4

Summary

A modest sleeper film from 2001 when Bruce Willis was still a superstar, Bandits is a true adventure with laughs, thrills, and great performances all around from the top-notch cast. Director Barry Levinson directs with a light, but sure hand, and the soundtrack is full of great songs of the period. It runs a little long at over 120 minutes, but if you somehow missed this theatrically or on DVD, then check out Olive’s brand new Blu-ray, just released.

Synopsis: Two bank robbers fall in love with the girl they’ve kidnapped.

Review: Two sort-of buddies in the slammer – Joe (Bruce Willis) and Terry (Billy Bob Thornton) – bust of out of prison in an audacious, impromptu escape (they commander a cement truck in the yard and go on a road rampage), and not ten minutes later, they rob a bank, carjack someone on the road, and off they go. Joe is the muscle (but he’s a nice guy) and Terry is the neurotic brains, and together they’re pretty fantastic together. They manage to stay fresh while they’re on the run, and they get the idea to go on a bank robbing spree but without the hustle and bustle of doing it during the day: they find out who the managers of the banks are, stop by their homes the night before and announce their plans (in a forceful but somewhat respectable manner), thus setting the stage for the morning heist before the banks open. The media catches on, dubbing them “the sleepover bandits” (better than “the sticky bandits” or “the wet bandits,” I suppose), and pretty soon they become famous and liked by the public.

On the fateful day they meet the halfway crazy runaway housewife Kate Wheeler (a luminous and affecting Cate Blanchett), the two guys and their goofy getaway driver (played by a hilarious Troy Garity) reluctantly take her on as a sort of mascot who can’t decide who she ends up loving more – Joe or Terry. These bandits are as likable as bad guys can be, but when they get themselves stuck in a heist they can’t get out of, there are some surprises to be had when events play out in a tricky fashion.

A modest sleeper film from 2001 when Bruce Willis was still a superstar, Bandits is a true adventure with laughs, thrills, and great performances all around from the top-notch cast. Director Barry Levinson directs with a light, but sure hand, and the soundtrack is full of great songs of the period. It runs a little long at over 120 minutes, but if you somehow missed this theatrically or on DVD, then check out Olive’s brand new Blu-ray, just released. The high definition transfer is more than satisfactory and the sound mix is excellent. Sadly, there are no special features, but if you’re a Bruce Willis on Blu-ray completist, then you know what to do.