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Bandits (2001)
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Reviews Counted:135
Fresh:85
Rotten:50
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: The story may not warrant its lengthy running time, but the cast of Bandits makes it an enjoyable ride.
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $41,176,738
Synopsis: Following a spur-of-the-moment escape from an Oregon prison, macho ladies man Joe Blake (Bruce Willis) and sensitive, hypochondriac Terry Collins (Billy Bob Thornton) become the best-known thieves... Following a spur-of-the-moment escape from an Oregon prison, macho ladies man Joe Blake (Bruce Willis) and sensitive, hypochondriac Terry Collins (Billy Bob Thornton) become the best-known thieves in the country. Deemed "The Sleepover Bandits," Joe and Terry add a twist to conventional bank robberies by taking the bank manager hostage the night before the heist and accompanying him/her to the bank first thing in the morning. With the help of Joe's cousin, Harvey J. Pollard (Troy Garity), a simple, aspiring stuntman, "The Sleepover Bandits" rob their way down to southern California with hopes of making it to Mexico. Joe and Terry's partnership and friendship is tested, however, when they each fall in love with Kate Wheeler (Cate Blanchett), an unhappy, unappreciated housewife who deems herself their hostage and ultimately finds herself attracted to both men. Directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN, WAG THE DOG), this somewhat quirky comedy features fine performances from Willis, Thornton, and Blanchett and is a nice departure from the average buddy film. Levinson's framing of the story through the reports of a true-crime show is particularly interesting. [More]
Starring: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett, Troy Garity
Starring: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett, Troy Garity, January Jones, Bobby Slayton
Director: Barry Levinson
Director: Barry Levinson
Screenwriter: Harley Peyton
Producer: Michael Birnbaum, Michael Berk, Barry Levinson, Paula Weinstein, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman, Arnold Rifkin
Studio: MGM/UA
Reviews for Bandits
Terrible. A substitute for sleep medication that's so self-indulgent and plodding, it drove four people out of my screening midway through.
A hybrid crime-comedy that unsuccessfully tries to blend classic screwball comedy (the Preston Sturges brand), romantic triangles (Jules et Jim, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), and character-driven crimers (a la Bonnie and Clyde).
There's good on-screen chemistry, good acting, and an incredibly well written and clever ending.
Bandits' most intriguing plot line, the three-way love story, merely hints at the complexity of a two-man/one-woman relationship and never moves past the initial stages of cuteness and adolescent eroticism.
The Odd Couple meets Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Fairly fresh and fun, if ultimately fleeting entertainment.
As the eponymous bandits, tough-guy Willis, with his usual array of slanted smirks and horrendous hairpieces, is easily outshone by the versatile Thornton.
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