Cash Out

A team of criminals led by Mason (John Travolta) attempts their biggest heist.

Cash Out relies heavily on genre tropes to deliver a story devoid of surprises as well as good writing. The action is forgettable. There's a lack of character development. John Travolta's charismatic and laid-back attitude, while entertaining, doesn't come across as a realistic depiction of a professional robber. There were times when the movie scored high on unintentional comedy.

Behind those continuous hyperactive shots that look like the work of a kid who got a drone for Christmas, unnecessarily shaky POV takes, cheap VFX, cheesy dialogue, and Travolta's spectre of expressions being narrower than these criminals' knowledge of how to rob a bank, there might be something positive. For instance.

The plot want bad, the acting was bad especially Kristin Davis who I just can't take serious in these type of roles.

As for Travolta he must be hoovering up roles to top up his pension plan as it was such a bad film for his standards.

I thought overall that giving it a 4/10 was me being rather generous.

If you have a spare 90mins on yours hands and you don't care what you watch then this'll do as it's mind numbing escapism .. but I do question the acting and some of the choices for the lead characters.

It'll be interesting to see if Travolta continues to choose these forgettable flops or get back to what he does best ... only time will tell.

John Travolta joined his former Face/Off star Nicolas Cage in going to VOD movies several years ago.

Travolta cannot even get a cameo in mainstream movies anymore.

That does not stop him from delivering an engaging performance. A reason why he has lasted for 50 years in this business.

The producers of Cash Out were so convinced that it will find an audience. A sequel has already been made.

There is a touch of Out of Sight about this movie. Mason Goddard (Travolta) leads a team that includes his inept brother Shawn (Lukas Haas) to pull off various heists.

A sports car heist goes wrong when his long time squad member Amelia (Kristin Davis) turns out to be an undercover agent.

They manage to escape and Mason is on an enforced retirement.

That is until a few months later, Shawn has got involved in a plan to rob a valuable crypto-wallet from a safety deposit box in a bank. Mason tags along knowing his brother will screw up.

The robbery doesn't go as intended. They now have hostages. Amelia shows up as a hostage negotiator. The box does not contain a crypto-wallet.

It is a dirt box owned by a shady billionaire crook. If the contents are spilled, everyone could end up dead.

On the basis of a low budget VOD movie, this is enjoyable enough. As long as you keep expectations low.

Some of the story does not make much sense. The cast give it their all though but there is a lack of chemistry between Travolta and Davis.

Jump right in from the get go and just accept that this heist crew is insanely competent at all things. There is no groundwork explaining who these people are and how they became such elite thieves. So yeah ok its a movie we don't have time to get into all that. They make a get-away after getting betrayed by one of their own crew in the opening scene. Then it cuts right to them chilling out in comfort without a worry in the world. They were betrayed by none other than an FBI agent who was romantically involved with Travolta's lead character. So this woman was a mole in their heist operation and the FBI just never ever goes after them? They obviously planted a mole and participated in almost catching the crew but no man hunt or anything.

The crew is roped into another brainless heist and without any scouting or research they go all in. The heist doesn't go as planned and requires them to play detective in order to figure out what and how to steal this precious item. What elite criminal gang would rob something they aren't even told what they're stealing, such a ridiculous premise. Eventually, they get what they're after and they come up with an escape plan that is virtually impossible to fathom even in the movies. This is pure fantasy in the realm of heists and getaways. None of this is believable including the lead police officer who was wearing a law enforcement outfit straight out Party City.

Watch this if you are a JT fan but don't expect anything but head scratching drama.

Cash Out tries to charm its way through the well-worn heist film genre, but stumbles on uneven execution. John Travolta delivers a charismatic performance as Mason, a seasoned thief attempting a complex score. The heist itself is decently staged, but the plot relies on a predictable twist and underdeveloped characters.

While there are some fun moments, particularly the banter between Travolta and his team, the shaky camerawork and forgettable action sequences hold the film back. The biggest missed opportunity lies in the supporting cast. Actors like Kristin Davis and Lukas Haas are wasted in roles that lack depth.

Cash Out isn't a complete wash. Travolta's performance is engaging, and there's enough action to keep things mildly thrilling. But for a truly satisfying heist experience, you're better off looking elsewhere.