Struggling mightily to launch Kevin Hart’s career as a serious action star, this all-over-the-place ‘Ocean’s 11’ wannabe finds the comic as the ringleader of a heist gang hired by Interpol to foil an even larger heist. Not nearly as clever (or believable) as the ‘Oceans’ films, however, the film crumbles under its own weight (and preposterous script) and then fails again by stifling every last bit of Hart’s comedic charms; the guy barely cracks a smile (and certainly doesn’t allow the audience to) throughout the entire length of the film. Sure, if you can just let it wash over you, the heist sequences are generally entertaining, but let’s hope the franchise that the ending clearly sets up never happens.
2/5 stars