'How to Rob a Bank' review: Mismatched Robin Hood tale needs more action
MANILA, Philippines — Content is a leading driver of influence in the 21st century, something David Leitch circles around in his new action flick and social commentary "How to Rob a Bank."
The titular YouTube channel in the movie documents and gives tips on how to get away with robbing small-level banks, from gathering the tools required to making a quick escape.
Ryan (Nicholas Hoult) leads the crew and narrates the video behind a Wolf mask, his partner Emi (Anna Sawai) is the getaway driver and distractions queen, Vince (Pete Davidson) provides on-ground support with his military history, and Hugo (Rhenzy Feliz) is the ever-present tech guy.
The gang's numerous exploits befuddles retiring federal agent John West (John C. Reilly), making him tap convicted hacker Reagan Gardner (Zoë Kravitz) for assistance to track them down.
It's more than a typical "steal from the rich, give to the poor" story by Leitch and screenwriter Mark Bianculli, even as the script lays out early in the film that statistically avoiding arrest for bank robbery are better than escaping the increasing poverty line.
"How to Rob a Bank" dives deeper by showing the personal reasons for each gang member's decision to enter a viral life of crime, driven by the failed support of those with the means to live more comfortably.
Leitch has done well going from stunt coordinator to director, with "Bullet Train" and "The Fall Guy," his most recent outings that indicate his action expertise.
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His new film could have done more with active set-pieces given how it zeroes in on the ever-present social commentary about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, leaving the script to do more heavy lifting than what occurs onscreen.
It's not a dig at cinematographer Jonathan Sela or editor Elisabet Ronaldsdottir, both collaborators of the filmmaker, though they are capable of doing more if the screenplay allowed it.
Hoult carries the certified leading man quality, while Reilly and Kravitz make for an amusing, unflappable duo despite indications one may side with the resistance. It is a different case for Sawai, who is underused and limited to below her talent.
The production team made a judgment call by applying the more electric, interactive style of filmmaking that younger viewers may be attuned to by watching short-form videos on social media, hoping to catch their attention that way (even the heist videos' editing go that direction).
Rather than make a statement, "How to Rob a Bank" is banking — no pun intended — on audiences to come away with a more critical lens of the people in power and hold them to account when communities are suffering.
It's a worthy effort but one that gets mismatched given the mixing tones. At least the movie leaves some pretty handy life lessons.
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