Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Brooklynn There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Uriah43 Although Bruce Willis (as "Joseph 'Joe' Blake") has the top billing in this movie, it is actually Billy Bob Thornton ("Terry Lee Collins") who carries this film with an outstanding and hilarious performance as a hypochondriac who seems to have contracted just about every disease known to mankind. Essentially, Joe decides to break out of prison at the spur of the moment and Terry mindlessly follows him out of the gates. Once outside they decide to rob banks which leads them to fame as "the Sleepover Bandits" due to their penchant of kidnapping bank presidents at night and sleeping at his house prior to robbing the bank the next morning. In one specific botched get-away Terry accidentally kidnaps a passing motorist named "Kate Wheeler" (Cate Blanchett) which further increases their fame. Rather than divulge the entire plot I'll just say that this film had some good moments and some bad moments. The beginning and the end were very good but it seemed to really slow down in the middle. Big time. And while both Bruce Willis and Troy Garity (as the get-away driver "Harvey 'Dog' Pollard") added decent performances, Cate Blanchett didn't seem to have the right chemistry for this movie. Be that as it may, the end result was a good comedy aided primarily by the excellent acting of Billy Bob Thornton. If the bar room scene doesn't make you laugh then nothing will.

Samiam3 I enjoyed it epically the first time I saw and, I still haven't gotten tired of all its charms. Bandits is almost adorable. It takes us on a breezy ride of crime and comedy, up and down the US west coast with killer one liners, witty dialogue, in addition to soundtrack which features more great hits than any five movies combined, including some Bob Dylan, some Bonnie Tyler, some Robert Plant, some U2 and many others. But seriously, don't get the soundtrack, get the movie.When the curtain rises, The 'Sleepover Bandits' Joe Blake and Terry Collins, have screwed up a major bank robbery and are now trapped inside surrounded by the LAPD, the Swat and hundred of press. We then flash back several months to when the two break out of prison in Oregon. Once on the loose they form a plan to escape into Mexico and run a hotel. But first, they have to rob a lot of banks. Thinks are going well at first until a big bump in the road appears. Kate Wheeler is running away from her miserable life, she runs into the Bandits, who make her a hostage, but both fall in love with her, and while she is having the time of her life on the run with these guys, she may also be the straw that breaks the camels back and ends Joe and Terry's friendship.From the first scene it is established that Kate was the one who tipped of the cops, and is the reason why the two are trapped in the bank. The Journey towards this particular moment however, is wild. The romantic element is funny, the crime element is funny, and the comedic element is especially funny. These Bandits turn out to be likable guys, We end up rooting for them, even though they may occasionally get childish and immature. Bruce Willis is not a funny guy, but here he plays almost a satire of himself. We are used to seeing him as a ruffian. Billy Bob Thornton is very funny, and because of his character's hypochodria, he gets to deliver some of the best lines in the movie. Bandits also offers what may Cate Blanchett's most adorable role. This must've been a fun movie to act in.There is a lot more worth saying about Bandits, but I don't wanna over sell it. You really have to see it for yourselves.

btm1 "Bandits" is one of those comedies where everything is so perfect that it is just a joy to watch. That feeling of enjoyment is from a clever plot, and acting and directing that never lets the story become a farce.The writing, directing (Baltimore's Barry Levenson) and acting are all superb. I particularly appreciated Cate Blanchet's performance as Kate Wheeler, an unappreciated gorgeous wife in despair because she has prepared a fabulous gourmet dinner and then her dolt of a husband decides to skip dinner. (I recently saw a serious drama, "The Man Who Cried," in which Cate Blanchett was also terrific. She hadn't come to my attention previously.) Billy Bob Thornton also was great as a neurotic convict/bank robber, and Bruce Willis uses a tough guy persona that has worked exceedingly well in such previous films as "Pulp Fiction." The plot, derived from a true criminal case, is about a pair of convict buddies who break out of prison and begin robbing banks to finance their dream of a plush retirement in Mexico. But they don't like the dangers that ordinary bank robbers risk, so they come up with a novel approach of getting the bank managers to let them into rob the banks in the morning before the bank is open to customers. But when Cate Blanchett's character enters their life, a romantic conflict ensues. Troy Garity is very good as an easily distracted movie stunt man (I don't recall if he was a friend or relative) in need of some excitement who jumps at the opportunity to drive the bank robbers' get-away-car.The story is told as a narrative reflecting back on the events that led up to the narration's current time. The end has a surprise twist that I was able to guess because of something included earlier in the film.If you are old enough or fortunate enough to have seen Alex Guiness' 1950's era classic crime comedies, "The Ladykillers" and "The Lavender Hill Mob," I think you will find that "Bandits" brings them to mind, despite "Bandits" being a less broad form of comedy.

merklekranz "Bandits' has it's moments. There is some sharp black humor, but also, way too many dead spots for this movie to be anything but average. The acting is acceptable. I thought Billy Bob Thornton's hypochondriac obsessions were overdone. The love triangle could have been trimmed. The ending was totally unrealistic. The over the top disguises added little. My conclusion is that a half hour could be on the cutting room floor and actually improve the film. If you come in with moderate expectations, you will probably not squirm too much, but I found myself wishing it would move along when it dragged, which was often. Certainly a disappointment, but watchable. - MERK