Grade: C+
I can always count on director David Leitch to bring us a movie that will at least have energy and be entertaining to watch. I had a blast with The Fall Guy. Deadpool 2 was a fine enough sequel. I could recognize and respect what he was trying to do with Bullet Train, and some of it was cool to see, but it didn’t quite get there for me. How to Rob a Bank falls into the latter category.
It seems to be two different movies. The title comes from a series of YouTube videos put out by an anonymous online collective who call themselves “Who’s Hungry.” Though they wear masks and never give their real names, I’m not sure how circumspect and anonymous they can be by filming everything and flaunting it online in garish, frilly instructional videos. What a coincidence. Today’s word of the day in my Dictionary app is “edutainment.” That’s a perfect description.
The members include Ryan (Nicholas Hoult), Emi (Anna Sawai, Yoko Ono in the upcoming Sam Mendes individual Beatles biopics), Vince (Pete Davidson), and Hugo (Rhenzy Feliz). In the midst of their high-paced capers, reminiscent of something you’d find in the Ocean’s franchise, the movie tries to make us feel something for these characters by providing treacly backstories. A couple of them are robbing these banks because of escalating medical bills.
The better part of the film is in the subplot involving the duo trying to capture “Who’s Hungry.” John C. Reilly plays a non-confrontational nice guy FBI agent who just wants everything to work out. He teams up with Zoë Kravitz as a software engineer who has developed an advanced cross-referencing and facial/pattern recognition program to track down the hidden identities of the crew. She calls it FUPOS, and I bet you can figure out what that acronym stands for. She is currently under house arrest, but her slate is promised to be wiped clean if she works with Reilly and succeeds in uncovering “Who’s Hungry.”
Reilly and Kravitz are delightful together in their mismatched buddy comedy situations. Their relationship and banter are the heart of the movie. Whenever we leave this part of the plot and go back to the freneticism of “Who’s Hungry,” the film dies a little. The rest of the cast is fine. Davidson seems to be attracted to screenplays with fast-talking characters who spout out pop culture buzzwords and phrases. Nicholas Hoult, more than anything, just reminded me of a holiday tradition. It’s almost time for my annual weekend-before-Thanksgiving-week rewatch of The Menu. It’s always nice to see Christian Slater, who has a couple of scenes as a bank manager of the team’s latest target.
The showy final act is fun to see, but absolutely crumbles under scrutiny. There is nothing going on in downtown Pittsburgh except for this revolution, with lots of chanting and holding signs. The city appears to shut down and make this set piece its sole priority. It ends with “Who’s Hungry” rebranding with a “How to [Do Something Else]” video.
How to Rob a Bank is somewhat enjoyable at a very surface level, while not really engaging with the issues it brings up. It’s the usual premise that the system is broken. The little fish takes on the big fish. The bully is the one to be shoved in the locker this time. Whatever expression you like. The rich must taste good if we’re still eating them. “Who’s Hungry.” I just got that.
Grade: C+
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