Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers

'Smash 'n' Grab' is a stylish documentary, but not a completely satisfactory one. The story of a real life gang stealing jewelry, it paints a picture that really is like the movies, a world of glamour, audacity, beautiful decoys and violence, underpinned by the semi-criminal state of post-Communist Yugoslavia. Indeed, the film could be accused of glamorising its protagonists, who speak on camera, but represented in animated form. Yet the bigger picture is somehow missed: this is a gang from which 189 people have been arrested: the word "gang" seems less appropriate than the word "mafia", but the story is presented in something of the spirit of a boys-own adventure. Although the police are also featured, they don't get to tell us much, leaving the audience mainly with the story of the crooks. It's an entertaining and amazing story, but it leaves one with a sense that there's a true nastiness to this world that has been left unexplored.

A missing narrative of this movie is that investigative reporter and associate producer Jovo Martinovic is now rotting in a Montenegrin jail awaiting 'trial' for his part in producing it. His exposes on characters, past and present, have rattled those in Montenegrin power, leading to a 'sting' as the perfect ruse for arresting and keeping him in isolation for what amounts to just doing his job. THAT story would make a much fitter ending - don't rattle the establishment, especially if it has ties to the very people it's not supposed to. Interested in finding out more about the investigative reporter and producer of Smash & Grab? Head over to Facebook and search hashtag #FreeJovo

It's suppose to be a documentary about a gang of highly professional criminals.But end up coming off more as a part documentary ,part travel guide, to different poor countries in Europe,where most of today's organized criminals come from.

You also don't get to hear why these places they rob, don't have better security.OR why they don't have armed guards. I Find the entire documentary very rushed, and romanticized,instead of being a solid to the point documentary. There's really no angle either,the focus is a bit all over the place.And the hook that will make you interested beyond the whole robbery thing.is lacking

The title intrigued me , art of thievery has a captured audience, so it will appeal to those with a sense curiosity for the skillset. The documentary is certainly not all bling bling or celebrated footage of criminals caught on surveillance tape with eye popping action get-away scenes. The animation scenes are a nice touch alternative to watching or listening to someone being interviewed in a dark room with face/speech altered .Thumb up for creativity! I was really captured by the underlying story about Yugoslavia's historical event pattern / war / economic strife / social deterioration and how people coped and dealt with the impacts amidst crisis.Not a whole lot different than US prohibition era. I did not think the author glamorized the tradecraft and seemed pretty restricted about details from both sides of the law regarding the actual crime part. Overall worth watching from an educational standpoint ..not entertainment.

That's it really. I is supposed to be at doku on a group of diamond thieves but all it is, is a boring rambling about Jugoslavian history and bad "animated" characters. I wants to be clever but is pretty silly and dumb.

Don't waste your time - it's not at all exiting on any level.