Bus 657: el escape del siglo

Great performances performances by DeNiro, Morgan and Bautista.

I feel some parts needed a little more 'oomph' as it felt dragged out a bit - a directing issue perhaps, by novice director Scott Mann, but forgivable seeing this was his 2nd full length feature film.

The screenplay could've used some tweaking, but the story itself was great - both by novice writer Stephen C. Sepher.

I just wish I heard less of the overbearing constant score that needed to be toned down, but otherwise, an enjoyable crime drama - a gangster film with heart, and a well deserved 8/10 from me

This is a rather typical action thriller starring a skinny Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Robert De Niro. Kate Bosworth is the 3rd pre-title name but she has a really small part in this.

Mixed martial artist Gina Carano is also present but underused here having only a few seconds of martial art. TV's Mark-Paul Gosselaar has also a surprise role and he is giving s good performance. That can't be said about De Niro who - despite the fact that his character has many layers - gives a sub-par and boring performance.

Anyway, as I said the plot is rather typical about a ...Heist, (obviously). There are some shooting and car chases and roadblocks, a couple of twists, a little bit of melodrama...

It's not bad. It gets better as it progresses and with a Hollywood type conclusion that most people will find satisfying, although somehow unbelievable.

You would think that a film with the title Heist in it would be all about that. Instead we get a simple robbery that does not go as planned and where three gang members end up on a bus. And where they are forced to keep the passengers hostage.

As intriguing as this sounds it gets downhill from here. Most events are predictable to a tee apart from a few surprises that do help redeem this flick somewhat. But seriously with a cast like this I can't but help to be disappointed. With names like Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, Gina Carano, Morris Chestnut, D. B. Sweeney, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kate Bosworth I expected a little more. Not much but come one what we got from this film is almost unacceptable. The only reason why I kept watching is because of the sincerity of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character. He only is involved since he needs the money for his daughter's surgery who has cancer. I am a sucker for that kind of melodrama especially if some of the main characters sell it well. I am not entirely sold on Gina Carano yet but I liked her part in this. For me it was far better than her role in breakthrough film Haywire. All the other actors are wasted. What happened to Robert De Niro? Why is he still acting? It does not seem like he is enjoying himself. He hasn't brought his A game in a long while now and it does not look he is going to very soon. It's almost embarrassing to see him like this. At least we were spared that 50 Cent was not involved.

Most of the film plays out as you expect and the action is decent enough but nothing really special. For a film with a duration of 90 minutes it feels like it takes forever. This is due to lack of real tension and build up of suspense. How can it be if director Scott Mann plays it safe and goes for the ending everyone can live with.

This is one of those movies that is decent enough when it is on television. I don't think this is worth seeing in theaters or watching on DVD or bluray.

I am rating this movie for what it is, an action flick. This is not the archetypal Oscar selects we see, no deep exploration of the soul or clever vignettes about ordinary people in ordinary situations. This is an action flick.

In that context this movie check all right boxes. Cinematography: good, sound track: good, acting is..yes...its also good. But what makes this movie a 8/10 you may ask, why group this movie with so many other supposedly profound films? If you are willing to appreciate the action genre, i.o.w give this movie a fair shot you will judge it upon its ability to keep you thrilled and guessing (the holy grail of action movies). And this is where this movie succeeds.

The formula could not have been more stereotyped: An ex-criminal (played by Jeffery Dean Morgan) gets his life together for his daughter who needs a quarter of a million dollar surgery. He ask his boss(played by Robert De Niro). His boss not only says no but fires him, leaving the ex-con no choice but to go back to his old ways and steel from his boss with the help of an inside man(played by Dave Bautista). The perfect plan goes horribly wrong and now they are being chased by a sympathetic, cop (played by Gina Carano).

It's a plot done a million times, but I have to admit, the characters on the screen are a little more in depth than you'd usually have in such an action thriller. Does not hurt that the characters were performed well by some decent talent. Even De Niro gave a good performance, as he usually phones in these "for the pay check" rolls, but he made me feel something for the character he plays. Though Bautista still needs some work on the dramatic stuff, Jeffery Dean Morgan has the charisma to keep you interested, and a nod to Morris Chestnut, who did put a nice twist on the henchmen concept he played.

So it's like if you combined Heat and Speed and then watered it down a butch, but overall, it was a good crime drama to watch.