Tower Heist

Eddie Murphy is back... in a sense. A PG-13 Eddie is better than the kids movie Eddie of the last 10 years. As much as I was looking forward to seeing Murphy back to business, he was not in the film as much as I thought he would be. He is very intrical, and every scene he is in, he steals...except maybe the one featuring him and Gabourey Sidibe (Pictured above). I finally have a reason to agree with people that Brett Ratner is a good Director. This film is directed phenomenally. The angles he uses and reflections. It all felt real, even when, we as the audience, know what we are seeing is impossible. He did a really good job. The cast is the best part which is the way it should be. To join cult icon Ferris Bueller with cult icon Axel Foley, then add the usually unfunny Stiller to lead the crew (although I liked him in this film) with a guy who has cut his comedic teeth in 2011, I'm talking about Michael Pena, who was the funniest person in 30 Minutes or Less and lastly add the dry wit and brilliant uncomfortableness of Casey Affleck you get an all star cast with real chemistry. I think Casey Affleck was brought on because of his time on the Ocean's movies. They needed a guy with previous "caper" experience and he was that guy, mostly because I think Carl Reiner is dead. Alan Alda (Hollywood Royalty) is the perfect cast call for the character of Mr. Shaw. He is the problem with everyone's lives in the film. He is a big shot investment banker who not only loses everyone's money, but probably won't be held accountable, and still has a nest egg of considerable amounts all to himself. He lives in the multi million dollar penthouse of the building aptly named The Towers. When he is indicted, Josh (Stiller) knows he is in a personal kind of trouble. Josh is the building manager of the prestigious Towers, and he has invested all of his employee's pensions with Shaw. They did not know he did this, but he thought they would appreciate having their portfolios tripled. Instead everyone who has worked for Josh for 10 years lost everything. Josh has to right this wrong. He is pissed at Shaw - a man he considered his friend - but he is more disgusted with himself. He assembles a rag tag team to take from Shaw what he has left. An estimated $20 Million. He wants it for his friends and colleagues who lost all their money. The film's flow is so good, we are unaware of every relationship among the people on screen until we are informed. That is just good story telling. Like I said, Murphy does not make an impact until 30 minutes in, but when he does, I had a big smile. I would not be surprised to find out he adlibbed many of his lines and jokes which he delivers in classic Murphy fashion. Josh is not going to be denied, but he may not have a choice in the matter. He is being watched semi closely by the FBI agent who is working the Shaw case. She (Leoni) also happens to be interested in Josh on a personal level. This does add complications, but with continued great story telling, it rounds out solidly. I wanted more when the short 1 hour 39 minute movie was over. It could be sequeled I think, even though it wasn't really left open. It's just a good cast that could definitely work together again. Sitting at 69% on RT , it has surprised almost everyone who watched the trailers. I think it deserves to be more along the lines of 75%. An absolute fun action comedy that Hollywood as a whole needed. It keeps hope alive that good films can still be made.


NBM rates Tower Heist - Phenomenal