Plastic

"How it started shouldn't matter. How things end, that's what's important."

"Plastic". You could call it a sort of "Ocean's Eleven" with some whippersnappers. Apparently it's based on true facts again. Yet it all seems pretty unlikely that a few pubescent boys can set up such a sophisticated system to commit fraud, involving extortion, hacking and setting up an ingenious plan with among other things a private jet and some cheap hired hostesses. There could be some truth in it but most likely the complete story is filled with exaggerated rumors and unverifiable facts so that the whole becomes a grotesque myth. Throw together a bunch of flashy-looking teenagers who resemble the cast of the "Beverly Hills 90210" series (except that the 90210 gang didn't commit credit fraud since their mommies and daddies had sufficient cash), a portion of forced humor, some terrible renditions with embarrassing dialogs, some minimal action and a childish "Mission Impossible" scenario, and you have a perfect summary of "Plastic".

The four "Robin Hood" -like youngsters, who enjoy being crooks besides their student life, are Sam (Ed Speleers), Fordy (Will Poulter), Yatesey (Alfie Allen) and Rafa (Dabastian De Souza). Sam is the founder of the group and the one with the biggest brains. Fordy is the co-founder of the enterprise and is a genius when it comes to computers and hacking someones mailbox.

Yatesey is the most unsympathetic member who actually causes trouble constantly. You'll probably start hating him from the outset which is mostly required in these kind of films. And Rafa is the schmuck of the gang who constantly goes about looking dazed and apparently has no idea what's going on. His task is limited in the beginning to copying credit cards at some gas station (later his role is of considerably greater importance). However, it goes wrong when they con a mendacious and dangerous Polish gangster and they are compelled to come up with a considerable sum of money in a short term. After this, the story becomes incredibly unlikely.

With none of the characters I had an affinity. The start was far from bad and it even appeared to become fascinating. The only thing I wondered in the beginning was whether these rascals had any relatives, what motivated them to lead this life of crime and how the hell could they keep clear of the authorities after seeing the pile of stolen credit cards. As the film progressed their interactions with each other and the way they communicated, became terribly innervating. The accumulation of clichés, coincidences and the used archetypes was a bit too much. The stunningly Frankie (Emma Rigby), who works at a credit card company of course, is required material to bring the beauty ideal to a higher level. It's evident she appears, during their stay in Miami, in a super sexy swimsuit that leaves nothing to the imagination. The moment she strolls along the beach together with the four rascals, I got spontaneous flashbacks of "Baywatch". The fierce gangsters are a cliché image of the Eastern European gangster : the well known dialect, total indifference when it comes to liquidations and an example of total stupidity during the real confrontation.

When the big scam began, it became downright ridiculous. The outcome was extremely predictable. And the denouement with the most laughable shootout ever seen, was too ridiculous for words. At that time, I was categorically sure you should take that "based on a true story" expression with a huge grain of salt. Was there anything positive about this movie ? Yes there was ! The interpretation by Graham McTavish as the arrogant jeweler and smarty-pants (and again it's unlikely someone would take such a decision) was entertaining. And I appreciate Will Poulter ("We're the Millers" and "The Maze Runner") more and more as an actor. But in the end I thought it was just an artificial product: a plastic film, as it were ....

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This is a decent "will they get away with it" crime movie that hits its mark's in the story but its main failure is that the main 4 Male characters don't come off as good people in a bad situation. They are a bunch of liars that hurt anyone they can to achieve there goals and I just can't get behind them and want them to succeed.

I found this film a lot of fun and very enjoyable. I've again read reviews and there are some people who pan this fim. I also read that even Will Poulter who starred in the film regretted doing it though I don't know why, I've seen many far worse films than this one. If you like action/crime films, this shouldn't disappoint ... if it does then you're hard to please. It's even based on a true story apparently.

I went into this movie without much preknowledge about it. A bunch of college students cover their student loans by doing scams with credit cards. One day they trick the wrong person and a crime boss urges them to pay their debt of 2 million dollars in 2 weeks. That is the basic setup from where the film draws its suspense and interest. I have to say it kind of fails to deliver, though.

The beginning does a good job of filling in the characters and is enjoyable. The characters seem to follow the typical role prototypes. Camera direction is competent, there are very beautiful shots, and the few action scenes are not bad. On a side note, Emma Rigby looks gorgeous in here, although she has a very barbie-like vibe going on. The thought crossed my mind that the movie title actually fit her best...

The actual heist they are planning is a lackluster. In the end, you realize that it is actually dumb, and there are some major plot holes involved. There are moment where you scratch your head wondering how dumb the characters act.

There are tons of alternatives with better script, story and acting. Nevertheless, if you are in the mood for a lightly fun little heist movie, you may watch it. You won't miss something, though.

Reel Score: 4.3-4.6/10

Not really a bad film but the reviews here are 5.9/10 which must be a joke. So giving a 4/10 lowers it. But on a given day, I could even give it a 5/10 which is still below average (5-6) for me. Given it's a film from UK, that's not good news since there are plenty of solid films coming from the British Isles lately.

It's hard to find something really likable about this film other than Frankie played by Emma Rigby. Alfie Allen who plays Yatesey is a bright spot. The extra nuts in the private jet was actually a bit funny, but there wasn't much to laugh about for the entire film except laughing at it. The film claims to be base on a real story but it's about 95% fictionalized except for the car crash taken from Graff Diamonds Robbery which was UK's largest in 2009.

Other from that, there are no justified claims of reality. Acting is average, script is weak. We are supposed to believe a group of young men who can barely grow facial hair are responsible for raking in cash from a sophisticated fraud ring before trying to pull off a major heist. It's rather simplistic, aiming at a young audience. Speed, sex, violence are all part of the unoriginal formula. It's like a teenage horror film meets Ocean's Eleven.

There are dozens of better capers and this film doesn't fall among them. Still, it's passable if you have nothing better to do as it's not horrible, but it does fall short.