Takers
A whip smart group of high stakes bank robbers are coerced by an old colleague named Ghost (T.I. Harris) to take on their biggest heist ever. Led by the unflappable Gordon Jennings (Idris Elba) the group hustle to make their move and get the job done; meanwhile, detective Jack Welles (Matt Dillon) is on to the plan. But what about the Russian mafia’s interest in the cash, why does Ghost feel so untrustworthy, and what doesn’t detective Welles know about his closest associates?
 Almost completely forgettable, lazy screen writing and poor character development make this one a bit of an eye roller. Conceptually the film has potential but there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better a zillion times before. Paint by number action continues with, fights, parkour, helicopters blowing up, impossible shoot outs, and fraternal love that’s thicker than thieves….so to speak. The overall impact feels kind of like eating a bunch of rice cakes, there’s not much sustenance. On the positive, Elba and Dillon both feel genuine in their roles and this helps add a little gravity to the film. Regardless I’m still thinking this is a rental when you’re truly bored this winter. Takers is rated PG-13.