Tower Heist (PG-13)
Mike:
Scott:
Michael I:
This week, we're reviewing "Tower Heist" starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy and Casey Affleck. Mike, what did you think?
Mike:
From the trailers, I was hoping that this was something good. It turns out that this movie is a lot of fun. Very funny and quite clever.
What did you think?
Michael I:
"Tower Heist" is a movie that I've been waiting to see -- and waiting to see if Eddie Murphy could return to his 1980's comedy form. I wasn't disappointed!
Mike:
Yes, this is definitely and Eddie Murphy comeback. This is the funny, crude Eddie that I have been missing. Not really sure what his plan was with most of his recent films.
Michael I:
I think some stars decide to make a bunch of movies to impress their kids, but it backfires on them. I'm glad to see Murphy in an adult comedic role again.
Mike:
This is not R rated Eddie, since the movie is PG-13, but this reminds you that this is the guy who made "Beverly Hills Cop" and "48 Hours".
Michael I:
But I wish it was R-rated Eddie Murphy ... I guess I'll continue to watch "Coming to America" and "Eddie Murphy Raw" and reminisce.
Mike:
Besides Murphy, there is a great ensemble cast here. On the surface it may look like a hodgepodge, but the combination works well.
Michael I:
And Casey Affleck has some of the best lines in the movie. I wasn't expecting that.
Mike:
I like Casey, especially after "Gone Baby Gone". He is a veteran of the "Ocean's 11" films and this movie is certainly modeled after those.
In fact it seemed like it was time for another funny caper movie.
Michael I:
It's that time of year. I'm actually surprised that this wasn't released Thanksgiving weekend. It's a good family movie to see over the holiday.
Mike:
Ben Stiller is pretty much a straight man as the Building Manager of The Tower, a Trump Tower type building where the average apartment is $5 million.
Michael I:
But even as a straight man, the audience can sense that Stiller's going to land some comedic jabs and play off of his co-stars. He's done it so well throughout the years in "The Heartbreak Kid" and the "Fockers" movies.
Mike:
Alan Alda plays a Bernie Madoff type, who is a resident of the Tower and appears to have swindled all of the employees out of there pension money.
This all leads to the Tower Heist of the title.
Michael I:
Bonus gems include Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe and one of my favorites, Michael Pena.
Mike:
Pena is the other guy who has some of the funniest lines of the movie.
Michael I:
As he did in "30 minutes or less" -- another movie we reviewed earlier this year.
Mike:
And one of the only good things in that movie...
We have been saying that this is Eddie Murphy's comeback, but this movie may also be a comeback for film veterans Alan Alda, Judd Hirsch, Tea Leoni and even Matthew Broderick.
All of these actors show that they should still be out there after bigger careers years ago.
Michael I:
Matthew Broderick's done a lot of Broadway lately, but you're right -- we haven't seen him on the silver screen much.
Mike:
In fact as I was watching this I was thinking, Oh No, not another movie with Matthew Broderick and red 1960s Ferrari. Just kidding.
Michael I:
That's exactly what I was thinking -- but I don't want to give too much away!
Because Alda's character has swindled the Tower's staff out of their pensions, Stiller and others decide to find Alda's hidden cache. But they need a more-experienced criminal to show them the ropes. Thus enters Eddie Murphy's character. And this is one of the pieces of the plot that caught my Deja Vu Meter since we've seen it happen before in "Welcome to Collinwood" and more recently in "Horrible Bosses".
Mike:
I have to say that i was very happy to see Tea Leoni. I have loved her since the TV shoe "The Naked truth" in the 90s.
She was also in what I think might be the best Brett Ratner film, 'The Family Man".
Michael I:
Hmmm, I would've said "After the Sunset" ....
Mike:
Not having seen that, I have a soft spot for Family Man. And like most everyone else, its hard not to like at least the first 'Rush Hour'.
Michael I:
I think we can both agree that "X3" was a stinker -- right?
Mike:
Yes, definitely the weakest of the three.
All in all I have liiked more of his movies, than I have disliked.
Michael I:
That's why he still has a job!
Mike:
Not always true, though. Somehow Joel Shumacher keeps working!
So how do you rate this Mike?
Michael I:
I'm going to give this 3.5 stars out of 5. It's funny, but not hilarious. Brett Ratner was a good directorial choice, mixing the comedy and action genres, which is obviously something that he's done before. And he did a great job of keeping the audience on the ride and keeping it entertaining.
Mike:
I give this a 4 out of 5. This movie has some predictable moments, but most importantly, it is fun! I enjoyed the ride and even when I knew what they were going to do, I wanted to know how.
I predict this movie is going to do very well.
Michael I:
You're probably right.
