Un plan d'enfer

What's up with Morgan Freeman appearing in heist movies that go direct to video? Just a few months ago we got THE CODE, and now we have THE MAIDEN HEIST. Actually, it does appear that THE MAIDEN HEIST was originally going to have a theatrical release, but the bankruptcy of the Yari Film Group put an end to those plans and no other distributor seemed interested in releasing it to theaters.

Based on that fact, you might think that this is a bad movie, but it's not. There are some positive things about it. The production values are pretty strong for what was reportedly a somewhat limited budget; nothing about the movie looks cheap. The planning of the heist and the execution of the heist have some believable complications, and what's done about them are believable as well. Some humorous touches are amusing. Freeman, Walken, and Macy play a likable bunch of fellows that you hope will succeed.

But there's also some not-so-decent things about the movie. The violent opening fantasy sequence seems way out of place with its harsh tone. Except for Walken's character, we don't learn too much about the characters in the movie. There are some unexplained things in the movie, like where the thieves got the van and how Walken's character adjusted the vacation he was going to take with his wife. The main problem, however, is that while the movie is refreshingly low key, it's TOO low key. It's lacking a bit more edge to it. Some more excitement or some more laughs would have helped a lot.

Maybe it's best that this didn't land in theaters; I wouldn't have recommended to pay full price to see it in a theater. But if you like caper movies, like any or all of the three lead actors, and you can see it for little or no cost, it's an acceptable time waster.

When I saw the cast, I put this on my watchlist, regardless of any ratings. Christopher Walken is his usual freak self and wait until you see Morgan Freeman and Macy's haircuts...hilarious on their own. I found the film engaging and humorous...not a roll on the floor comedy, just humorous. Worth a watch

That could. Not because of the story so much, but more because of the actors that are in it. And is it a bad thing, that this movie works mainly because of the three main actors? Don't be fooled by the mention of Breckin Meyers though, he doesn't have a big role in this (just in case you're a fan of his).

No this movie belongs to the "big three". Mainly to Christopher Walken, because he is the lead. But everyone else gets his time and they are really great. They have funny scenes and the movie roles along quite nicely. Maybe if it had a better script, a greater antagonist (there really isn't one), it could have been better. But it is a nice watch and a good film.

I loved this movie. Hubby brought it home for my birthday pizza-movie night and it was wonderful. The characters are different from what you would normally see these fine actors playing and it seems like they enjoyed it! The performances were uniformly excellent. The story was lovely.

And I, at least, believed that these pieces were THAT important to these characters. I think if you stand in the presence of art for hours...days...months...years...you could easily find in it the source for what you feel you are missing.

Some of the reviews say it is slow, but I think sometimes it is so nice to take a little time to get to know the characters in a story rather than having their life story shoved down your throat in 90 seconds so that the explosions can begin...give it a try...please...

Well it's quite a surprise for me that this movie being so funny is lowly rated. What's worth watching is the star cast,and above all the plot. The movie gets even more interesting towards the end. The role of Rose played by Marcia Harden is too good and she nicely fits into the role. This movie will definitely give good hearty laughs,don't miss out on this. Although they could have got more comic element into it but, still its good entertainment. The characters of Roger,George and Charles are outstanding. Roger has the uncanny habit of getting into embarrassing situations. Roger does most of the comedy. A real thumbs up for this movie.