Ladrão Que Rouba Ladrão

Ladrón que roba a ladrón or Bandoleros is a stupid movie which apparently is made in U.S. in Spanish language. Looking at the rating of 6.9 from IMDb, I figured it must be a good movie and I bought the DVD. The rating in IMDb is usually accurate and this is the first time I find it disappointing. I will probably end up giving this movie away since I don't think I will ever watch it again. This movie is a repeat of other successful or (fairly successful) movies made in the past. However, with bad directing, acting, boring plots, etc.. While movies such as Ocean's 11, 12, etc. are available, don't waist your time on this unless you are content with a mediocre movie.

LADRON was released in August 2007, just before the U. S. economy hit a gigantic speed bump in 2008... If you're over 25, I'm sure you remember what the next couple years were like, right?

Well, I remember watching promos for the film some years back and how people involved with the film said, "It was produced in Miami...The Capital of Latin America!" Strange...Since the big recession, really haven't heard that phrase tossed about anymore! To counter that, however, as an L. A. ex-pat, it sure looks as though a lot of the filming was done in the Hollywood Hills...But IMDb said there was no INFO on filming locations, so I can't really be sure!

If you look at the actors and the people involved in making LADRON, it is a sort of an International Hispanic "Who's Who!" In the Director's chair, we have Joe Menendez, born in NYC, Cuban-American; His life-partner, Roni Eguia Menendez is credited as #1 Producer, there is no background on his specific ethnicity, but Eguia seems to be of Basque origin.

The principal leads are: Fernando Colunga, born in Mexico City; Miguel Varoni, although born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was raised in Colombia and most people consider him as such; Saul Lisazo is from Argentina, but has lived in Spain and now in Mexico City; Gabriel Soto, from Mexico City; Julie Gonzalo was born in Buenos Aires, but has lived in Miami since she was 8; Sonya Smith, of Telenovela Fame, born in Philly, she is Venezuelan-American. Most of the rest of the cast seem to be of Hispanic origin, but born in the USA!

LADRON is done in a style that is quite tongue in cheek. I'd say almost a BIT too much so at times, making for a rather Cavalier experience for cast and crew, who seem to be having a lot of fun making the film!

Does this insider merriment translate into viewer enjoyment? In general, yes, but not always. In any case, I think the vast majority of people will find it breezy, fun and enjoyable! Just under $7 Million Gross for most movies released in the U. S. would be considered dismal...Yet, LADRON is the highest grossing film produced and released in Spanish EVER in the U. S.! Well, at least until 2008...I can't really be sure about after that.

Yes, the film is in Spanish...Well, at least about 98% of the dialogue is in Spanish. Would a non-Spanish speaker enjoy the movie as much??? The answer to that has to be NO, of course, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth seeing just because you don't speak Spanish. In fact, if you are interested in the dynamics of cultural differences, you might find the interaction of Hispanics from many different countries within the U. S. to be rather interesting and amusing.

How well done are the subtitles in English? Since I never pay much attention to them, I'm not really sure...But I did notice there did not SEEM to be much in the way of gaps where there were no onscreen subtitles! Sorry, but that's about the only help I can provide in that area!

ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

I just came from watching this movie, and I couldn't wait to tell you that this movie is a must see one. I really enjoyed it. It's an action, adventure and comedy movie. It doesn't get boring, you will be all the time either laughing or tensed. Besides being an enjoyable movie, it also gives a message to the audience. And shows how real life is in nowadays in the U.S. The actors are fantastic! I can't complain about them. You have to watch it, doesn't matter if you speak Spanish or not, but you have to see it (It's really understandable). I kind of disagree with the trailer because, it doesn't show the movie as interesting and funny as it is. After you watched it, you'll know what I'm talking about. I don't want to tell you the story because I want you to actually enjoy it and try to "infer" what will happen. The movie ends in a way you never thought of. That's the magic of thieves! But remember, thieves can rob other thieves!

I was born in the US to immigrant parents and while I don't care for telenovelas or the typical overracting that is present in Latin entertainment, I really enjoyed this movie.

While it may seem to be a wannabe Ocean's 11, you also have to bear in mind that the recent O11 movies are also knockoff's of an original movie made in the 60's. I don't think that this movie is in any way trying to set itself apart or claim complete originality. The formulas have been used in many movies in the past, present and will continue to be used in the future.

What sets this movie apart is how the subject appeals to a broad group of people on a personal level. This is not the type of movie that could truly appeal to non-Latinos because they have no emotional investment in the storyline. While there may have been a few things that others would consider predictable, it was still worthwhile to view. I think that if non-Latinos could understand the struggles that Latinos endure trying to come to the US, they would have a deeper understanding of what it means to get back at someone who robs their own people.

I think that if I did not speak Spanish I would probably not appreciate the film as much. The nuances in tone and inflection by some of the actors, particularly Oscar Torres, are just outstanding. I loved watching him on the screen and hope to see him in more movies. I think that his character alone, led the audience to an uncertainty of the outcome of the heist. The other actors, popular in the world of Telenovelas, still had some very good performances.

Personally , I would not really compare this to Ocean's Eleven, Italian Job or any of those types of heist movies. Those movies had an air of sophistication that is entirely different than LQRL. I would compare LQRL more to the Donal Logue show, Knights of Prosperity. Equally zany, hilarious and in some cases the performances are so nonsensical you can't do anything but laugh your @ss off.

The ending is of a different type than most heist movies in that it circles back and closes well.

I loved this movie! The focus of this heist movie was on the characters' resourcefulness and cleverness, not on special effects. The clever dialogue, plot twists and the wonderful humor reminded me of the great classic "The Sting." I much preferred this film to the big-budget Ocean 11-13 series, which is too self-important, and I found the characters far more charming and easy to root for. While I am not Latina, I am very familiar with the works of the three stars, Varoni, Colunga and Lisazo, and they were the reason I went to see this film. They did not disappoint me. The entire ensemble is great and very believable, although Oscar Torre and Miguel Varoni steal a few scenes. Fernando Colunga always stands out b/c he's so darn HOT! He's also very good here. On the other hand, my friend's heart palpitated every time S. Lisazo and G. Toro came on screen. Ivonne Montero is very funny in a role very different than many of her telenovela ones. All around, definitely worth seeing!