Connect with us

Uncategorized

8 Heist Movies With Hilariously Low Stakes

Heist films, like Michael Bay’s recent Ambulance, typically carry very high stakes. Usually, to go along with the cash and the penalties for taking it, there are particularly high stressors for participants and their families, like in director Steve McQueen’s Widows. But that was far from the first heist film to have stakes on multiple ends for a character, e.g. for Al Pacino’s Sonny Wortzik in Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon.

With that being said, some are more intense than others. They can’t all be Avengers: Endgame and its world-saving time heist, but there are some capers, both big budget and small, straightforward or comedic, that have almost humorously low stakes at play.

Raising Arizona (1987)
Stream On YouTube
Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter in Raising Arizona

Gale and Evelle Snoats are far from the most intelligent characters in a Coen brothers film. The most logical thing either one of them says, while one of the Coen’s most memorable one-liners, is still a complete failure to understand the definition of the word “Escape.” The film’s central protagonist H.I. McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) is himself a criminal, and now that he and his wife, Edwina (Holly Hunter), have stolen a child, they’re both on the wrong side of the law.

But the child never legitimately feels in danger. Hi and Ed wouldn’t hurt him, and John Goodman/William Forsythe’s Gale and Evelle seem too incompetent to pull off a successful kidnapping. And they, too, seem taken by the child. The only real source of tension is biker Leonard Smalls, but there’s no getting past Ed and Hi.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Stream On Paramount+
Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda

Easily one of Jamie Lee Curtis’ best movies, A Fish Called Wanda is primarily a comedy, but it’s also a very effective heist film with an extremely memorable Kevin Kline performance. Kline portrays Otto West, a self-proclaimed genius who really is anything but. He’s after some diamonds, and he (along with three others) gets them. But then one of them gets incarcerated, and he knows where the diamonds are.

A Fish Called Wanda has stakes, but it’s not as if any of the film’s individuals are particularly good people. There’s also the fact that the eventual pseudo-fifth member of the group, Archie Leach (John Cleese), is a barrister. Just by his profession alone, the ramifications for the crew could be diminished significantly. Toss in his personal preference for Jamie Lee Curtis’ Wanda (“I wonder”) Gerschwitz, and the chances of at least her going to jail are nonexistent.

The Last Seduction (1994)
Stream On Roku
Bridget lies in bed in The Last Seduction

One of the 1990s best film noir movies, The Last Seduction lives and dies on the shoulders of Linda Fiorentino. Fortunately, the performer gives some Oscar-worthy work that was unfortunately passed over by the Academy due to the fact the film premiered on HBO. With that being said, it’s not the highest-stakes heist film, but a heist film nonetheless.

Bridget Gregory (Fiorentino) wants her husband Clay (Bill Pullman) dead. However, she isn’t going to do it herself, and instead seduces and enlists the assistance of young Mike Swale (Peter Berg). Gregory is constantly pulling off a heist, and they tend to be elaborate ones. But they’re not at a bank, they’re at home, and she has a lot more planned than any character (or audience member) can possibly predict.

Bottle Rocket (1996)
Stream On HBO Max
The crew of Bottle Rocket practicing with guns

Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson’s debut, isn’t one of Owen Wilson’s best movies, but it is an impressive premier collaboration nonetheless. The plot follows Anthony (Luke Wilson), whose friend Dignan (Owen) has just picked him up from a psychological clinic. Dignan has the bright idea to begin a crime spree, even though the two of them are amateurs at best.

Like Anderson’s other films, Bottle Rocket is far more quirky than tense, and while Dignan is clearly a bad influence on Anthony the audience gets the sense the latter will keep it all together. Their shady mentor in crime, Mr. Henry (James Caan), is intimidating, but even still it’s to a lesser extent than much of Caan’s other work.

The Fast And The Furious (2001)
Stream On Peacock
Brian jumps to truck in The Fast and the Furious 2001

Before the Fast & Furious franchise became a physics-defying franchise that clearly didn’t research its subject matter, it was low-key. And the first heist of The Fast and the Furious is very low-key. The three vehicles used for the electronics truck heist are Honda Civics, and one of the main targets of the theft is VCRs. Dom and his crew may as well be after 8-track tapes.

It would take a while, but eventually, the franchise would have cars leaping over highways (with a tank in pursuit) and jumping between buildings in Abu Dhabi. Rob Cohen’s The Fast and the Furious is a small-scale film, but only in comparison to later installments of its own logic-skewing universe.

Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Rent On Amazon
The cast of Now You See Me 2

Redditors believe the ending of Now You See Me was so bad it ruined the movie. That’s valid but debatable, but what isn’t debatable is the fact that it ruined the tension of Now You See Me 2. While its lack of tension isn’t as big a crime as not calling the film Now You Don’t, it’s still pretty jarring.

Danny Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinner (Woody Harrelson), and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) already have a man on the inside: FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo). Not only does he have sway when it comes to getting the group out of trouble, but he also runs the group. When a film’s central antagonist ends up being the protagonists’ greatest asset in the sequel, there’s no replacement villain that can be as daunting.

Ocean’s 8 (2018)
Rent On Amazon
The cast of Ocean's 8

Ocean’s 8 has yet to receive a sequel, but the adventure of Debbie Ocean (sister to Danny Ocean) is just about as entertaining as her brother’s first tour in Vegas, and almost certainly superior to Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. With that being said, the twist ending is a leap that puts a major dent in the proceedings that had occurred up until that point.

Essentially, the target of the heist is Anne Hathaway’s famous actress Daphne Kluger. Or, more specifically, the $150 million Cartier necklace around her neck. However, Kluger manages to stop being self-involved long enough to notice what Ocean and her crew are up to, and she wants in. Having the central threat to the 8 end up as an ally deflates the film, but it’s still a lot of fun on the first watch.

The Bad Guys (2022)
Stream On Peacock
The Bad Guys main characters driving a car in a chase at the beginning of the movie

Based on a successful series of children’s books by Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys has proven to be one of 2022’s bigger animated hits. The all-star cast of funny people—including Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, and Awkwafina—play a group of seasoned criminal animals. Once they’ve been caught, they devise a plan to con their way out: Simply act like model citizens.

In The Bad Guys, the titular criminals have already been caught, so their situation can only get so much worse. While this does inherently strip the film of its tension, it’s supposed to fall in line with a fun and family-friendly vibe just as much as the vibe of a caper. The Bad Guys pulls off both and even has some meaningful messages along the way.

NEXT: 10 Best Animated Movies Of 2022 So Far, According To IMDb

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Uncategorized

Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director

Summary

Fast and Furious 11
is facing a release date delay to Summer 2026 due to strikes, with director Louis Leterrier confirming the sequel will not be hitting its April 4, 2025 date.
Leterrier also confirms that filming starts in Fall 2025 after finishing a horror movie in September.
The final installment in the
Fast Saga
reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto for one last ride, while also leaving the door open for other spinoffs.

After facing multiple delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, Fast and Furious 11 is seeing its release date delayed. The next installment in the Vin Diesel-fronted franchise is expected to be the last mainline sequel, while development continues on the Dwayne Johnson-led spinoff Hobbs & Reyes, a mysterious standalone movie penned by Fast X’s Zach Dean and a potential female-led spinoff. While a filming start date was never confirmed, Universal had previously set the movie for an April 2025 release date.

During a recent interview with Collider at a CCXP MX panel, Louis Leterrier was asked for an update on Fast and Furious 11. The director went on to confirm that the final mainline installment in the action franchise will no longer be making its April 4, 2025 release date, instead now aiming for a Summer 2026 release window with the filming start date being set for this fall. Check out what Leterrier said below:

It’s happening. It’s happening very, very soon. I’m able to shoot a little horror movie this summer. I’m finishing my horror movie on September 15th, and I start Fast on September 16th.

Will Fast 11’s Multiple Delays Help Or Hurt The Sequel?

Much like the tenth film before it, Fast and Furious 11 has faced a few behind-the-scenes hardships in its road to getting off the ground, namely the delays stemming from the 2023 strikes. While the latest movie seems to have retained its core creative team in comparison to the shift in directors from franchise vet Justin Lin to Leterrier on Fast X after reported creative differences between the former and Diesel, this change didn’t seem to help much with the continued downward trend recent sequels have seen from critics. Check out how the franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores compare below:

Title RT Critical Score RT Audience Score The Fast and the Furious 54% 74% 2 Fast 2 Furious 37% 50% The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 37% 69% Fast & Furious 28% 67% Fast Five 78% 83% Fast & Furious 6 71% 84% Furious 7 81% 82% The Fate of the Furious 67% 72% Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw 67% 88% F9: The Fast Saga 59% 82% Fast X 56% 84%

Even looking outside the Fast and Furious franchise, many movie sequels have found themselves hurt by various delays, be they from creative changes, general release shifts or other factors. The action genre in particular is one in which lengthier development periods can lead to diminishing returns, be it A Good Day to Die Hard, Rambo: Last Blood or Diesel’s own xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. While Fast and Furious 11 may only be getting pushed back by a year, the delay is nonetheless a concern that the final installment could find itself in trouble.

Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) looking angry with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) looking unimpressed in Fast & Furious

Related 10 Most Exciting Things To Expect From Fast 11 Fast & Furious 11 will pull all the strings to become bigger than the previous installments, and here is why the film is worth being excited about.

On the other hand, the longer wait for Fast and Furious 11 to close out the mainline series of movies could actually prove beneficial for the sequel. Though Leterrier may be busy with another project in the lead-up to filming the next installment, writers Oren Uziel and Christina Hodson should now have more than enough time to really look back at the script and ensure it learns from the critical missteps of recent installments to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Dominic Toretto saga.

Source: Collider

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake

Summary

Vin Diesel’s dominance in Fast & Furious is ending, but Kojak could kick off a new action franchise for him.
Kojak’s reboot faces an uncertain future, but its similarity to Fast & Furious makes it a worthy project for Diesel.
Diesel’s potential shift from criminal racer to cop signifies a fresh start in a possible Fast & Furious-like series.

Vin Diesel’s days of playing Dominic Toretto are numbered, but the actor has already found his perfect Fast & Furious replacement. Diesel found a major breakout role in the early 2000s thanks to participating in The Fast and the Furious. The original 2001 street racing crime movie became the springboard for a sprawling franchise that has lasted for over two decades. The success of the Fast & Furious movies transformed Vin Diesel’s career, turning him into an even bigger star, especially in the action movie genre. But, Fast & Furious 11 is planned as the final chapter for him and the franchise.

The Fast & Furious franchise’s end will put Vin Diesel in an unfamiliar position of not having a major franchise to lean back on. This presents the actor with various options, such as changing the course of his career to pursue non-franchise roles. However, the more likely outcome is that Diesel will attempt to find a new IP that can replace Fast & Furious. He has had trouble in that regard recently, with franchises like xXx or Riddick running cold and Bloodshot and The Last Witch Hunter failing to launch franchises. There is another option for Diesel, though.

2:03 Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto from The Fast & Furious Franchise

Related Vin Diesel May Have Spoiled Fast & Furious 11’s Ending With $2.7 Billion Movie Comparison Dom’s death happening in Fast & Furious 11 may have been spoiled already, with Vin Diesel comparing the upcoming movie to another big franchise.

Kojak Can Be Vin Diesel’s New Action Crime Franchise After Fast & Furious
Diesel Has Been Developing The Reboot Since 2015

The impending conclusion of the Fast & Furious franchise means it is finally time for Vin Diesel’s Kojak reboot to get off the ground. The project was announced back in 2015 with Diesel re-teaming with Universal Pictures, the studio behind Fast & Furious, to develop a movie based on Kojak. The original TV series starred Telly Savalas as Theo Kokaj and ran for three seasons after debuting in 1973. The series revolves around Kojak, a New York detective known for being willing to go beyond the law and a love for cars and lollipops, and follows him as he investigates different cases.

Kojak was rebooted in 2005 as a TV show starring Ving Rhames, but it only ran for six episodes

Development on Vin Diesel’s Kojak movie has not been very active in the nine years since it was announced. However, it still maintains the base similarities to Fast & Furious, which makes the project a worthwhile endeavor for Diesel in terms of finding a new action franchise. He would now have another big action series about cars and crime, essentially making Kojak into a newer version of Fast & Furious. The irony here is that Diesel takes on the role of a cop after playing criminal racer Dominic Toretto.

Vin Diesel’s Involvement Can Morph Kojak Into A Major Action Franchise
Kojak Could Be A Fast & Furious Clone
Telly Savalas talking on the phone in Kojak

Looking at the original TV show, Kojak might not necessarily project to be a major blockbuster action franchise akin to Fast & Furious. The TV series was relatively grounded and small due to the nature of its production. However, the fact that Diesel and Universal pinpointed this property as something they wanted to revive together is telling. The announcement of Kojak’s reboot came months after Furious 7 debuted in theaters and took the franchise to new heights at the box office and in terms of how ridiculously big the action and story could get.

It’s sometimes difficult to remember that Fast & Furious started off with a story about DVD thieves who were also street racers before Diesel helped turn it into something much bigger. With that experience and success already behind him, it would be understandable if a similar path was envisioned for Kojak. The series could then morph into a Fast & Furious clone, one that gives Vin Diesel a new franchise to headline and Universal a “fresh” action franchise to grow.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change

Summary

Hobbs from Fast & Furious 11 needs a gritty edge like The Rock’s WWE character to keep the franchise fresh and exciting.
The Rock’s time away from the Fast & Furious universe provides the perfect reason for Hobbs to return with a personal vendetta and a more savage attitude.
While Hobbs shouldn’t become a full-fledged villain in Fast & Furious 11, adding some edginess and dirty tricks could make his character more intriguing and dynamic.

Fast & Furious 11 must make one major Hobbs change after The Rock’s incredible WWE run. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE return surpassed his recent movies, with the actor creating some of the best work of his career. Having returned to a thunderous reception, The Rock was able to flip the crowd’s reception by becoming a heel and playing a major part in WrestleMania’s main events. The Rock hasn’t played a villain on screen for years, as even his depiction of Black Adam lent more into the character’s anti-hero side, which made his wrestling run all the more refreshing.

While his wrestling character may not perfectly translate into the Fast & Furious universe, there is one aspect of The Rock’s WWE run that the franchise should attempt to implement. After debuting in Fast Five, The Rock’s best Fast & Furious scenes helped contribute to the movie series becoming so popular, with Luke Hobbs becoming an instrumental part of the story. He was even given his own spinoff alongside Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and is set to get a solo movie in the future. Despite this, Hobbs would still benefit from adding one key aspect of The Rock’s WWE run.

The Rock’s WWE Run Proves Fast & Furious 11 Needs To Give Hobbs More Of An Edge
Fast & Furious Would Benefit From Hobbs Adopting Some Of The Rock’s WWE Tendancies
Dwayne The Rock Johnson in Black Adam, WWE, and Hobbs and Shaw

Given how electrifying The Rock’s recent WWE run was, there is no doubt Fast & Furious 11 needs to give Hobbs more of an edge. Although the character has had his more serious moments, like most of the Fast & Furious cast, Hobbs tends to mix action with comedy. Hobbs and Shaw are supposed to be two of the more stoic heroes, yet they are constantly at each other’s throats and cracking jokes to help maintain the franchise’s lighthearted core. However, giving Hobbs a grittier side would help the character thrive upon his return.

The Rock’s Fast & Furious return may redeem Fast X’s box office, but the character needs to come back stronger than ever. By allowing him to be more ruthless, he can still maintain some elements of comedy but also become more interesting in the process. Johnson proved that despite being a detestable heel, he was still as hilarious as ever during his recent WWE tenure. This proves that he can maintain Fast & Furious’ tone and humorous style while being more layered; therefore, Hobbs adopting some of The Rock’s WWE characteristics could make him even more entertaining.

Fast & Furious Already Has A Reason For Hobbs To Be More Savage
Hobbs Has Been Away From The Franchise For Several Years

Making a major change to Hobbs’ character could be tough to explain, but Fast & Furious 11 already has a great reason to make him more savage. His four-year absence from the franchise gives him a perfect excuse to come back with a vengeance and potentially have a personal attachment to Fast & Furious 11’s villains. Hobbs’ time away from the main story could be explained through a connection to Fast X’s secondary villain, Aimes. Aimes’ villain twist in Fast X was well executed and suggests he’ll be around for the sequel, which is the perfect reason to bring back Hobbs.

Having a more personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, but it would also give him more of an edge.

Fast X never explained why he’s back, but having a personal vendetta against Aimes could be an intriguing reason. Given Dom and Dante are the focal point of the franchise’s conclusion, Hobbs returning to take down Aimes would avoid overshadowing the main story while still giving him an interesting role. Having a personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, while also giving him more of an edge. This provides The Rock with the perfect reason to implement some of his heel traits while still portraying a morally good hero.

2:34 Image 147 Related Predicting The Ending Of All 13 Fast & Furious Characters In Fast 11 The Fast Saga is set to conclude with Fast & Furious 11 – or Fast X 2 – but how will Dom Toretto and his family’s stories come to a definitive end?

Why Fast & Furious Can’t Bring The Rock Back As A Villain
Hobbs Already Appeared As An Antagonist In Fast Five
A custom image featuring Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious movies Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Although The Rock’s villainous tendencies worked well in the WWE, Fast & Furious can’t bring him back as an antagonist. Johnson already played the main villain of Fast Five, as Hobbs was originally an enemy of Dom and his crew before becoming an ally. Hobbs’ role in Fast Five was one of his best, but despite being the main antagonist, he always had a level of integrity. Dropping all of this to make him a villain in the final movie would be completely unnecessary, especially as the franchise needs him to remain a hero for his spinoff.

Fast & Furious 11 may end the main story, but The Rock will be part of the franchise beyond this, and altering his character so drastically wouldn’t make any sense. Instead, adding some extra edge to his character would have the same effect and would avoid stealing the thunder from Dante and Aimes. Although Fast & Furious 11 shouldn’t make him a villain, the film can still allow Hobbs to play dirty and pull some cheap tricks in order to show a grittier side, while letting him taunt his enemies when he inevitably helps save the day.

Fast & Furious 11
is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 4, 2025.

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 Fffighters