This is a very stupid movie that tries to mash two genres together – the bank heist movie and the kidnapped child movie. The writer spent very little time worrying about whether or not the plot made much sense and the director doesn’t make the script any more convincing. (I would expect nothing less from Mr. West.)

SPOILER ALERT!

This movie involves Cage’s character robbing the same bank twice, 8 years apart. (Eventually…it takes a really long time to get to the second heist.) The second heist is so easy and so quick (3 hours to plan and execute) one wonders why he ever got caught the first time around, or why he ever needed a team of 4 people, two of whom were evidently mentally unstable.

In between the first heist – reasonably interesting if not totally unbelievable – and the second heist – rushed through and too ridiculous to even spend a moment thinking about – we are distracted by an elaborate and rather silly kidnapping plot to force Cage’s character to rob the bank a second time – with fewer resources, a smaller team, but in far less time, etc. This plot involves Cage violating common sense and the film’s internal reality more times than I could possibly count.

And then, there’s the police, who don’t appear to be particularly interested in re-arresting Cage’s character, despite a litany of crimes, because, I guess, they secretly believe he’s gone straight even though they publicly profess he hasn’t. In short, nobody’s motivation makes any sense save Cage’s character’s. The bad guy seems insanely bitter about what happened, the cops really don’t behave as we would expect them too, and the other members of the team’s motives are never explored at all. We have no idea why anyone does anything in this movie beyond Cage wanting to save his daughter, which is obvious.

3/10