This movie has Forest Whitaker, Common and Ray Liotta in it. Even though they have those stars, it's Michael Chiklis who has the bulk of screen time. Surprisingly, he has a pretty good fake British accent in it, too.
It's a story along the lines of Dog Day Afternoon, but not quite as well done. The premise is that a group of bad guys enter a diner to rob it and things do not go as planned. As we learn through the movie, there are several sub-plots and intricacies that we were not privy to at the beginning. The inevitable police stand-off results in a very unlikely turn of events, and it does not really take too much away from the generally likable script.
It's not the greatest story ever told, and it's not got the best dialog (in fact, the dialog is a bit sketchy), but it's a relatively entertaining movie with some very good performances by the talent they have. And I should probably change my expectation level for Chiklis. I've seen him in a few things, and I have to stop expecting "The Commish" in everything he does.
It strikes me that all of the major characters are men, though. There are a few women in the cast, but they are window dressing who are required to cry, be held as hostages, and generally be scared of things going on around them. Big, strong men are required if you want something meaningful to happen.
3.0/5