Review by Falconeer

How is THIS movie so completely unknown? "The Real Thing" is an EPIC heist film with more artistry, intelligence, style and energy than the similarly themed "Expendables," another movie featuring an ensemble cast of legendary names. Gary Busey, James Russo, Rod Steiger, Esai Morales, Max Perlich, Emily Lloyd, and Ashley Lawrence among others, each shine in their very defined roles of current and past criminals, trying to make a comeback by pulling off a million dollar nightclub heist. Russo is incredible as ex con Rupert, desperate to save the life of his little brother, who got shot while engaging in some criminal activity of his own. A liver transplant is the only way to save the kid, and Rupert will go to the ends of the earth to do that. Him and a group of fellow ex cons get together and devise the plan to put their hands on some much needed cash. Unfortunately another group of pros has their eyes on the same nightclub heist, and these men are much more ruthless, planning to kill everyone to get their hands on the cash. Rod Steiger is the intended target here; his New Years Eve bashes are known to take in big money, and those suitcases of undocumented cash are up for grabs. But forget about the story and just admire the style and incredible adrenaline rush that is this sadly overlooked gem of a film. Everyone involved is SO GOOD, and the movie serves as a reminder that the current crop of actors is just not as good as these veterans. Russo and Morales are particularly good here; Russo can still make you jump out of your skin with those sudden bursts of rage, and Esai hasn't been this much of a "bad guy" since he played Sean Penn's nemesis in "Bad Boys." Busey, in a smaller role, is hysterically slimy as Russo's employer, barking insults and firing people for being 10 minutes late to work. Fans of cult movies will get that same jolt of energy from seeing these guys, as action fans got from seeing "The Expendables," with it's epic cast of action legends..the only difference is, "The Real Thing" is so much better than that Hollywood trash. Again, I have no idea how this movie slipped under the radar, but it's one for fans of heist films, and for movie lovers in general.