The Alpha Caper

Leading a terrific roster of talent, Henry Fonda is very good cast against type as the mastermind of "The Alpha Caper", a minor movie for TV that is better than its high-priced famous competitors, like George Clooney's "Ocean's" movie series. Watching "Alpha" for the first time just now, I had the odd coincidence that the movie's premise is based upon Fonda's character as a veteran parole officer has been ordered to retire, a victim of ageism, just after I read the op-ed of Clooney in real life requesting President Biden to drop out of the race, a current case of ageism!

The suspense is fun rather than harrowing as the actual crime takes place, and the ending is delightful. By 2024 prices, the gold they steal would be worth over 115 million dollars!

That's because Elroy Schwartz's ingenious script details how the big robbery will be carried out in great detail, quite fascinating. Even the very best caper films of all time, like "Rififi", rely on the brilliant execution of the caper to enthrall an audience, but in this case the first half of the feature as Fonda works out the meticulous planning is great fun to witness, too.

Casting includes Leonard Nimoy as an ex-con lowlife who excels in such a different part than his image: he looks like Ray Romano here! It's interesting that the show's producer and developer is Harve Bennett, who famously produced several of the "Star Trek" features starring Nimoy later on.

Don't get me wrong due my low rating, because it was a far-fetched plot that should be in the series Mission: Impossible, wherever they did end up in a successful assignment, somehow it happens here in this TV movie which I did watch in 1983, even the skilled crew of Mission Impossible aren't able to do better, I have much respect by Henry Fonda and Leonard Nimoy, nonetheless I'm not so blind to accept this laughable offering, worst having the comic actor as Larry Hagman on the casting.

Mark Forbes (Henry Fonda) is a parole officer for 40 years and was notified over his forced retirement even he has so much to offer yet, he has 61 years old only, he stayed high disappointed by some many hard years and kicked out without mercy, meanwhile has a hearsay that a robbery's gang is planning a forthcoming armored cars convey a large shipping of gold bars through the streets to a nearby federal building, Mark Forbes envisages a payback on his superiors joint forces with the skilled gang, however he'll settle a flawless plan to got the gold from those armored cars, letting their commanders in dire straits aftermaths.

The Gang comprises, the expert explosive Tudor (Larry Hagman) the high technical in electronic Mitch (Leonard Spock Nimoy) and the driver Scat (James McEachin) the plan is cinematography, parodying an old jargon used to by newspapers in a robberies like that, the slow pace armored cars thorough in streets are an easy target for the thieves, worst they manage the route in a studio lot aiming for a blast action on the street in a controlled environment to display the robbery in smallest details.

Despite so many reviewers given highest ratings here, someone can figure out be treat a masterpiece or something, far away from it, a contrived robbery that happens only in movies, so much unrealistic and unworkable upon any point of view, therefore this picture is a facsimile from those European flicks made on the sixties and seventies, just a cheap entertainment!

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First watch: 1981 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.

I remind having seen this when I was a kid, back in the late seventies. I loved it, but after a while, I have to admit that heist is very unlikely, totally unrealistic, but fun. I prefer this to the modern post OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001) rip-offs; yes, I prefer this because there is no f....bloodin comedy line here. But, also yes, it is too short, too cheap, it could have been forty minutes longer, with a better character depiction. And the final scene is quite close to another heist bullion movie from the fifties: PLUNDER ROAD; maybe a tribute. Anyway, I like this however light hearted film. Hank Fonda excellent.

The caper film is a classic genre and there are some wonderful examples of these movies such as RAFIFI, GRAND SLAM, OCEANS 11 and many, many more. With "The Alpha Caper", however, it's a made for television version of these films and, like most films like it, it's worth seeing...though it's far from being a classic.

Mark Forbes (Henry Fonda) is a parole officer and he's being forced to retire. However, instead of spending his time playing shuffleboard or sitting in a rocking chair, he's planning on doing a huge gold heist. After all, he knows lots of ex-cons and is able to assemble a team of guys with considerable skills. Can they pull it off? Perhaps. Will they get away with it? Rarely does this ever happen in a caper film!

The biggest weakness of this movie is that like most made for TV films, it was rushed and done on the cheap. Sure, they must have spent a lot of money for Fonda...as well as Leonard Nimoy and Larry Hagman...but was a lot of money left for rewrites or better direction? Probably not. This is probably why there are a few mistakes or sloppy scenes. Take the one where Hagman is shooting some sort of dart-like objects onto the undersides of the armored trucks. When he does this to the last one and says "This is the last one"...you can CLEARLY see another armored truck coming up behind. They simply kept reusing the same footage. Or, when the attack began, why did EVERY cop on a motorcycle suddenly come sliding off their motorcycle?! And then there was that preacher....well you kind of get the idea. An interesting film with good acting and only okay attention to details and the script. Still, overall it's still worth seeing.

Eights year before this TV film was made, Paramount made "The Italian Job," a comedy caper picture that takes place in England and Italy. It had a superb cast that included several prominent entertainers of the day - Michael Caine, Noel Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Rossano Brazzi, John Le Mesurier and others.

Anyone who saw that film and then watched this one on TV, or on video tape or DVD later, would know that "The Alpha Caper" was inspired by the 1969 movie. But this is more of a crime drama than a comedy caper. All I can say is it's too bad that Universal and ABC didn't stay with it as a comedy caper. The cast is spot on for comedy, and my guess is that the writer for this TV film struggled to keep from writing it as part comedy. Just look at the cast. Besides Henry Fonda in the lead, Leonard Nimoy Larry Hagman and James McEachin are the guys who pull the job. In several instances in the film, the dialog and antics of these guys is right on the edge of humor. So, it doesn't seem like it would have taken much to adjust the plot with dialog to make it an outright comedy caper.

And, although Fonda turns from a law-abiding parole officer, to a crook to get even with his boss who wouldn't support an extension of a few years in his job, he never seems too upset. Rather, he seems to be enjoying the planning for a big heist.

This is an enjoyable film that still has the feel of a caper comedy, even if they tried so hard not to make it so. And, those who have seen "The Italian Job" of 2003 are aware that it combines the 1969 and 1973 films for the heist and action in it. It's clearly not a comedy caper but more of a crime and revenge caper film. Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Mitch, "That's a lie. Whatever he said, we are clean." Mark Forbes, "I could put you away just for being together - you're consorting with known criminals." Scat, "C'mon." Mark Forbes, "In a place that serves alcoholic beverages. Cheers!"

Tudor, "There's no law against thinking, is there?" Mark Forbes, "I'm your parole officer. If I don't like your attitude, I can send you back."

Scat, "I don't believe this conversation. You're our parole officer. You're supposed to keep us straight." Mark Forbes, "Well, I haven't done a very good job of that, have I? This time I think I just made you better crooks."

Mitch, "I don't get it, Mark - what's the game?" Mark Forbes, "No game. Are you interested?" Tudor, "Aw, come off of it. You never stole nothin' in your life. You wouldn't even know how to." Mark Forbes, "I sat on the other side of the law for 40 years. At least I know what not to do, which is more than I can say for you three."