Fri 4 Nov 2011
Tower Heist
By Cassandra Z. Hughes
[4] Comments
This is a real step up for you, Matthew. Finally.
Theatrical Release Date: 11/04/2011
Director: Brett Ratner
Cast: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni , Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe
Rated: PG-13 for language and sexual content.
Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Trailer:
Remember me? I used to make great films not about talking to animals or taking care of kids.
In “Tower Heist”, a group of employees fall victim to a Ponzi scheme and the common man turns to crime. Who knew that Hollywood could still create a decent movie? Honestly, the trailers made me suspicious that this film was going to be borderline at best. In reality, it was actually pretty good on a number of fronts.
First, this movie is a fast-paced action comedy with an all-star cast including well-known actors like Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, and Gabourey Sidibe. And while the overall acting was good, the performances of Murphy and Sidibe stood apart. For one, foul-mouthed Eddie Murphy is back … and I for one look forward to more adult comedy to come in the future. As for Sidibe, she struts her comedic chops putting together a fantastic performance as the safe-cracking Jamaican maid Odessa.
Second, this film combines two often discordant genres (comedy and action) and creates a beautiful blend of laughter and hold-your-breath excitement. A solid plot and great dialogue help create distinct characters with specific personalities and motives that help hold this heist movie together.
Finally, this movie kept the audience engrossed for the entire runtime of 104 minutes with unpredictable twists and turns. “Tower Heist” provides a nice escape from your daily realities, earning a 3.5 of 5.
Now in Theaters
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November 4th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
I see that Brett Ratner directed this. Chris Tucker doesn’t suddenly show up in a scene uncredited, does he?
November 8th, 2011 at 11:47 am
so this is the Eddie Murphy comeback vehicle?
is he back…really? can’t wait to see it.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
You know what’s funny? You seemed to heep a lot of praise on this movie, and you gave it 3.5 stars. You seemed to knock Harold & Kumar, and gave it 3 stars.
Although I agree with much of what you said in both reviews (I probably liked Tower Heist a little less than you … because it breaks a rule I hate in comedy — if you make a “realistic comedy”…you can’t do a bunch of unrealistic and crazy stuff.
If you make a wacky movie like Harold & Kumar, Airplane, or Naked Gun — then you can do stuff like dangle cars out windows (Oops…somebody put “spoiler alert” before the car thingy)
December 6th, 2011 at 7:51 am
To Full Force thankfully no. To Didi it’s a possibility. To Josh these two movies were actually reviewed by two different people but thanks for your opinion. Sorry took me so long to respond.