Bandits: Review By moviegeek

Bandits is ubiquitous. It travels every which way in hopes of somehow arriving with a conclusive point or message. It never does, which is frustrating, especially in a movie just over two hours long, but there is some real charm and wit here from the leading names.

The titular bandits are played by Billy Bob Thorton and Bruce Willis. One of them (Thorton) is a hypochondriac, constantly paranoid about unfortunate outcomes. The other (Willis) is more of a leader, more sturdy in personality and more direct with initiative. They both end up falling for a woman they meet along the way, played by Cate Blanchett. While on their heists across the nation, they receive 'Natural Born Killers'-type attention from the media, who name them the Sleepover Bandits.

Now I still don't understand how these criminals are as quaint and as friendly as they are, and yet still are never outsmarted. It borders between silly and uninteresting. But that is the least of our worries. This movie is about 'Bandits,' not about 'Heists.' The movie constantly centers on our heroes(?) as they go from place to place with different characters.

The biggest problem with Bandits is not inconsistency. In fact, that is what I would have appreciated more of. This movie is so much about characters that the plot goes nowhere. Around and around the characters go, doing the same things again and again. The characters grow, both individually and together, but the movie itself does not.

Willis and Thorton both have great screen chemistry, though. Their playful banters back and forth in completely opposite personalities are enjoyable and charming. Blanchett's character, however, feels like a misfit, but that's to say nothing of a pointless cousin character.

In the end, there comes a point where we may finally see some motivation of incentive or, most importantly, heart behind all of the schemes they have planned. We may see that this very repeated storyline may have a definite climax or purpose. But for some reason, they throw in an ending that is satisfying at first, but so aggravating now that I look back! They abandoned it all and are left again with a movie that has no purpose or destination.

But like I said, this is a movie about character. And Bandits has a lot of it. The screen crackles with wit and fun. In as much as I found wrong with it, there was a sparkling cast brightening it up. Bandits has a lot of fun in a bad setup and pacing, much like a bouncy house in a field of manure.