The Champagne Gang

Wow! I haven't seen a movie this good since Caligula! The lead actress (Lacey Toups for those not in the know) is a cut above the rest. It was very cool to see Forest Whitaker do something small and indie like this for a change. As for the story, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought Michael Mann had something to do with the script. Every single detail of the Gang's criminal enterprise is scrutinized under an incredibly watchful eye. It makes sense though. The Champagne Gang is based on a true story and it shows. The sense of reality is a prevailing feeling throughout the movie. This is a must-see and most definitely a must-own. Awesome!!!

This film probably didn't have a bad concept, and at some point, I expect it will be remade with actresses you may have heard of who can actually act. And maybe they will get a screenwriter who can actually write dialog.

Other than that, it was an excuse to put girls in bikinis and have them run around on the beach. Not that I normally object to that sort of thing, but...

They start the movie out by telling you how it ends. We are told from the get-go, they are going to get arrested and sent to jail. Well, that kind of destroys the suspense, doesn't it? Then they go into the story of how this gang of shoplifters were recruited by a crime boss and taught how to engage in the glamorous job of robbing supermarket safes...

Okay, more jiggling, more party scenes, a little burglary school montage (where is the "Team America" Montage song when you need it?), a few close calls, and they get caught. That only virtue of this movie it was direct to DVD, so you could fast forward through the boring parts, which is about half the movie.

I sometimes wonder if a director even looks at what they are shooting, because if they looked they would see hold bad this really is. If you can't create a dialog that the characters can some how carry through the film you will end up with a movie that makes no sense at all.

The funniest parts about this movie are the locations that some of the sense are shot in, the key word here, (low budget funny). Other than the babe factor, if that's your thing, you will see a bunch of immature girls who have no reason for doing what they do, other than just doing it for the fun of it. You will not find anyone telling you they have learned something or felt even a bit of remorse for what they did, so what is the whole point of trying to instill in the viewer this is based on a true story.

Save your remote control batteries and don't press play!