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65%
Overall Rating
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Ranked #2,062
...out of 20,698 movies
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Two convicts break out of prison and immediately start a bank robbing spree, kidnapping bank managers, spending the night with their families, then going with the managers in the morning to rob the banks. Using a dim-witted stunt man as their getaway driver and lookout, the three successfully pull off several jobs. Things are going great until the bank managers begin to realize that the robbers are non-violent and therefore no threat to them or their employees, changing the game for the Bandits. To add to the complications, a bored and unhappy housewife ends up in the hands of the criminals, and begins to have romantic feelings for both Willis and Thornton, causing a sticky love triangle.
--IMDb
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"Beavers and ducks".
What a film. I remember seeing "Bandits" when it was first released in theatres and thinking -- "Wow. This is how a film is supposed to be made". It was and is the total package -- humor, drama, heart, action, intelligence. It does not miss a beat and it's one of the most entertaining films you're likely to see. It came before Bruce Willis started to make schlock like "Hostage". It came before Barry Levinson even thought about "Man of the Year". It came before Billy Bob Thornton started getting type cast in every role, before Cate Blanchett won her Oscar, and before most people knew that Troy Garity was really Jane Fonda's son. "Bandits" predates them all, back to 2001.
The film stars Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton as Joe Blake and Terry Collins, two men who escape from prison and start robbing banks as The Sleepover Bandits. They kidnap the bank manager the night before and go with he and his family the next morning, before anyone else gets there, a brilliant scheme that eventually turns them into the most successful bank robbers in United States history. However, things get complicated when a distraught and somewhat eccentric woman named Kate Wheeler (Cate Blanchett) gets thrown into the mix and eventually falls for both of the men, first Joe and then Terry. As the men keep robbing banks and as things get more and more complicated between the three of them, "Bandits" shifts gears and really accelerates.
Billy Bob Thornton owns this movie. This is the best thing I have seen him do. His character is so developed and so nuanced and he has so much fun playing it. Terry gets all the best lines and really steals the show. Cate Blanchett is equally as enjoyable as Cate and her scenes with Billy Bob are the highlights of the film. Bruce Willis does a fine job as Joe, but really gets the least to do, character wise. Joe is explored less than the others, but is still quite amusing throughout the film. Troy Garity also turns in a nice performance as Harvey, the front man, who loves women in pink boots and works as a stunt-man on the side.
When Billy Bob Thornton raises up off the couch and screams, "Beavers and ducks!", I don't think I stopped laughing for twenty minutes. When he starts smelling burning feathers, I literally started to cry. He works this character so well and makes him so likable and so sympathetic. "Bandits" is one of the funniest action films to come around in a long time and I highly recommend it.
10/10.
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#1:
Tristan
- added August 20, 2007 at 10:37pm
YES! Beavers and ducks is something my friends and
I quoted forever. What a great movie. This was the
last VHS movie I ever bought, and I really should
upgrade to DVD. Classic film. 10/10 from myself as
well.
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#2:
Edd
- added August 21, 2007 at 7:43am
I watched this movie expecting zilch, but I was
really suprised. Anything below a 9 would be
downright wrong. Good stuff.
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