The story wasn't the most original - what is? - and the plot almost felt wafer thin, but what made this one stood out from the rest of this tired genre was the impeccable character exposition. Really. Every single character from Ben Affleck down to the old man - who, by the way, had about 15 minutes of total screen time - had a very strong presence and all of them were fully developed and believable, which was shocking.
For once, I actually cared about what was happening to all the characters instead of sitting through another mindless cluster of explosions and high speed car chases. To me, it was really refreshing that the heists themselves were just secondary to the exposition of the people within the story, and because of that, the action sequences carried a stronger impact.
Also, I thought the film was cast very well. Ben Affleck, I believe, just delivered his best performance yet. Yes, he has had many ups and downs in his career but he more than proved himself as a credible actor here. Jeremy Renner was unbelievably good, Rebecca Hall was convincing and the other supporting roles felt very authentic. Blake Lively, however, was a revelation in this film. I thought she gave a solid performance proving that she can be a serious actress. I was impressed as I didn't see Serena van der Woodsen in her portrayal! Ha!
Now, as for Ben Affleck as the captain of this ship, I thought he did amazingly. The screenplay was great, the story was executed perfectly and his direction was excellent. I've got no complaints in that department.
The quiet scenes were moving and poignant, the action sequences were startlingly violent and gripping and the final scene had that great nostalgia and emotional depth. Ultimately, this was a solid film with the perfect blend of drama and great suspenseful action.
RATING: 8/10
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