Film: Takers

Another Bank robbers movie, this time it's all about the action.

Idris Elba (The Losers) and Paul Walker (The Fast & The Furious) lead a cocky team of robbers who always leave a full year between jobs. When a former team member is released from prison he persuades them to take on a $30million job, problem is it's in 5 days time.

Matt Dillon (Crash) and Jay Hernandez (Hostel) are the cops trying to track them down.

It's a well above average ensemble piece as all the main players have their own issues to deal with and there are some nice fight, chase (free running style) and shoot out scenes. Although the dramatic music and slow-mo can be a bit irritating at times.

Not up to the high standard of Ben Affleck's The Town but an enjoyable ride nonetheless.

Ric's Rating: 77%

Film: Armored

TV stars Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) and Laurence Fishburne (CSI) appear along with Matt Dillon and Jean Reno in this thriller but its the unknown Columbus Short who emerges with his dignity intact largely thanks to the part he plays.

Short is persuaded to go along with the gang's plan to rob their own armoured truck and we end up with a seige type situation when he changes his mind.

Being an ex soldier he has the beating of the rest of them at every turn and their demise is inevitable as they kind of become Dumb and Dumber Rob A Truck.

No real tension here and I'm surprised this got a cinema release at all as it is perfect straight to dvd material, had I saw it that way I might not have been so disappointed.

Ric's Rating: 37%