Hulkeasexo
it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.
StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
lapratho
This may be the one that George C Scott cringed about, but WHAT a laugh it was! Certainly not an intellectual feast, but why should every movie be just that? I like my mind to be tickeled, but laughs are always welcome and badly needed to! This is one of those movies that is small and light and fluffy and is simply truly great entertainment, simply because it is so unpretentious. If you want a break from every day life, this is great watching with gags galore, and it is precisely Scott's very annoyed attitude that makes it work. His "Leave me alone you crazies" attitude makes the other characters carry through a vision of a crazy world, that is despite its outrageous insanity closer to the truth of every day senselessness than we all would admit. I first saw this one as a kid, and I can still laugh about it. It is from the same period as "Harold and Maude" and while by no means carrying any social or philosophical comments like Harold and Maude, it certainly has that irreverent flair of the 70s. Does a movie always have to be serious? Whatever happened to simple laughter and charme and the kind of babedom and sexiness displayed by a young Joanna Cassidy? Every character punched through and was flavorful and strong. I will also take this movie's camera-work over anything done with the 90s vintage (and still in use) "new look" stupid jiggling camera and zoomiezoom wiggle-jiggle and zoom-in-zoom-out-pretending-to-be-documentary stuff that makes me sea sick and makes me hit the "off" button regardless of what the story line may be! This one is one of my all time favorite comedies , and I don't care what critics think or Scott thought! It feels right and it lives in a different world. Now isn't also what movies can be all about?
royiscool86
Donald Westlake's Dortmunder are a terrific series of caper books about a career crook with bad luck. "Bank Shot" may very well be the best of the bunch, well the funniest anyway. But the movie fails on many levels.First off there's the casting, George C. Scott wasn't a horrible choice, if he had a good script he would have worked fine, Sorrell Booke wasn't the best choice, though i love to see him in something other than "The Dukes of Hazzard," Don Calfa is okay as the driver from the books, but Frank McRae was great as Hermman X.If you want to see a pretty good Dortmunder movie, watch "The Hot Rock" with Robert Redford or "Why Me?" with Christopher Lambert. Watch out of curiosity, at least its closer to the books than "What's the Worst that Could Happen?"
Silly_Whyte_boye
Can you imagine if some brilliant producer in 1971 decided 'Deliverance' would be 'better' if they changed Ned Beatty's character 'Bobby' to 'Bobbi' and cast Shelly Winters instead? And instead of going down a river in canoes they are going down the highway on motorcycles. And Bobbi's big squeeee-eeel takes place in a canyon off the highway thru Monument Valley! Or Could you imagine some Hollywood suit in 1972 coming up with the brilliant changes for 'The Exorcist': They make Father Karras struggling with his sexual repression and sexual identity having to face his demons before he acts upon them! Change Regan's character from a girl to a Scottish terrier, oh and, of course, get this: Change The Devil to Jesus Christ. 'Bank Shot' is a perfect example of what happens when novels are adapted to the screen...some 'writer' thinks they can improve a tried a true novel! Oh, here's a brilliant Idea for 'Good Fellas'! All the males are gay and they would substitute their acts of violence for acts of sex which is expressed rage at their fathers seed and for their fathers lack of affection and Love. The club they go to they attend in drag. Of course, all guns would be replaced with latex replicas of their manhood! The 'Clown Scene' would make it NC 17. 'Bank Shot' the novel has those lovable guys from 'The Hot Rock'; Dortmunder, Kelp, Greenberg, Stan Murch and his ma! But, they turned it into a campy, I don't know what. All the characters were so animated they didn't resemble anything Donald E. Westlake wrote.As far as a movie goes They pretty much kept the plot of (going by the book) Dortmunder and Co. stealing the WHOLE bank! This is screwball enough because the bank is under construction and the temp bank is a trailer as in a Trailer Home. They put it on wheels and drive off with it. They paint it in a football stadium, then move it to a trailer park, where the neighbor's sprinklers wash the wet the paint off...as the police are looking for the Bank! Having to move the trailer while (Kelp-the Locksmith) is trying to rack the safe with little success! They end up parking on the side of a desolate road on a hill and quickly making it look like a roadside café to provide coffee and donuts for the cops who are looking for the bank. George C.Scott does comedy very well, don't get me wrong. And I am sure his character was funny...but I was expecting John Dortmunder, not this Ballentine guy who who rips off Donald E. Westlake's immortal character John Dortmunder! Not my fav. Joanna Cassidy...how can ya NOT like the twinkle in her eyes right before she laughs! She jiggles when she laughs, ya know?! I just can n to help but laugh with her! She is contagious in this way! I believed her, at least that she was having fun! and now, 30 years later...be still my heart! She still twinkles and jiggles! and has become an accomplished actress! She does have a great body...of work!In closing, my final but philosophical pitch: 1972 Walter Hill and Sam Peckinpah adapted Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'. Sam Peckinpah would direct; Mr. Hill-AD. I would pick Dustin Hoffman to play 'Duke'. I think George C. would have done a great job as 'Dr. GonZo' if 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' was made in 1974, instead of this corny camp.1 star because of Joanne Cassidy! She is the ONLY reason worth watching this one.
Bob Fingerman
Why can't Dortmunder catch a break? It's bad enough for him that his capers always go awry in the great book series by master plotter Donald E. Westlake, but that's the joy of those fictions. But to have such lousy movies based on his exploits is insult on injury (and irks this particular fan).The fact is that every Dortmunder flick I've seen has been awful, and this one is no exception. Okay, so they changed the character names (no doubt because the rights were tied up), but name aside, Walter Upjohn Ballentine is still a weird interpretation of the John Archibald Dortmunder from the books. Where did that lisp come from? And the crazy eyebrows? Did Scott contribute those affectations or was he directed to do so? Scott might have actually been good had he played the character as written, but this whole movie is so misdirected (in every sense) and miscast I wonder why they even bothered. It's so strange. Westlake's Dortmunder novels could practically be shot as written (with little trimming for time considerations), yet the filmmakers who tackle these undertakings seem bent on ignoring the timbre of the books and making unwatchable crap.In the books the characters are much more calm, cool and collected. Everyone in this is shrill, stupid and over-the-top.Best avoided.
