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Bandits

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Bandits (2001)

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63 %
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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

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Reviews for Bandits

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
08/17/02
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/26/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
10/18/08
Boxoffice Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review

Terrible. A substitute for sleep medication that's so self-indulgent and plodding, it drove four people out of my screening midway through.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
08/05/07
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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).

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
03/31/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's good on-screen chemistry, good acting, and an incredibly well written and clever ending.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
12/31/05
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Zertinet Movies | comment Comment
10/01/05
Steven Snyder
Steven Snyder
Zertinet Movies
N/R

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Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
12/15/03
Alexander Walker
Alexander Walker
This is London
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
12/15/03
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

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.

Full Review Source: ToxicUniverse.com | comment Comment
09/30/03
Keith Uhlich
Keith Uhlich
ToxicUniverse.com

comedy, a great cast, an intelligent script, but a weak ending.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
09/27/03
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Joe Mader
Joe Mader
Palo Alto Weekly

The Odd Couple meets Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Fairly fresh and fun, if ultimately fleeting entertainment.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
02/17/03
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today

As the eponymous bandits, tough-guy Willis, with his usual array of slanted smirks and horrendous hairpieces, is easily outshone by the versatile Thornton.

Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) | comment Comment
02/13/03
Tom Grealis
Tom Grealis
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

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Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Bandits

August 20, 2001: Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton play a charming pair of bank robbers known as the Sleepover Bandits. Opens in new window
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