Tower Heist [2011]

Here’s a hit and miss farce that leaves you wishing it was funnier then it is. Why? Because it wastes a killer cast that’s ready to rock it. Because the premise isn’t as original as you’d want it to be. On the plus side, “Tower Heist” makes good use of its mid-Manhattan location, and the entire heist sequence is filmed during the Macy’s thanksgiving day parade. That’s pretty good stuff. Ben Stiller is in good form as a hard working building manager for one of the richest apartments in New York City. Alan Alda is the owner of the building who turns out to be a swindler. When Stiller finds out that his boss wasted the pension funds of the building staff, he recruits a handful of allies to break into Alda’s apartment and find his hidden safe. But he’s going to need a real thief to do the job. Enter Eddie Murphy (in one of his funniest roles in years), a natural born thief who turns out to be a powerful ally as well. Director Brett Ratner (who won’t be producing the Academy Awards next year following his “fag” comments) makes the most of his zany cast (that includes Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck and Michael Pena), but his script never culminates in a satisfying whole. The movie fails to tie up so many loose ends. This might bother some, but you gotta remember: it’s just a caper movie. Never take a movie with a premise like this one seriously.

Despite its otherwise predictable plot, “Tower Heist” still manages to provide some good laughs. Of course it doesn’t add anything new to the genre, but as far as escapism goes, I guess it’s not bad. Now bring back the old Eddie Murphy, please.

Rating: 2.5/4