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The Art Of The Steal Blu-ray Review

The cast deserves better than “The Art of the Steal.”

After a thief (Crunch Calhoun) wastes away in jail for 7 years thanks to his brother/fellow thief Nicky betraying him, Crunch decides to enter a different line of work by performing as a daredevil alongside his girlfriend (Lola) and apprentice pal (Francie). His “retirement” is short lived, however, when Crunch decides to return to thieving with Nicky, Lola, Francie, and Guy de Cornet. Their mission? To steal a valuable book. Of course, this seemingly simple job turns out to be far more complex when Nicky comes up with an idea that will land the gang even more money. In typical heist film fashion, you can expect plenty of plot twists and double crosses.

Right off the bat, it’s evident that “The Art of the Steal” desperately wants to be a slick and lighthearted heist film in the vein of the ‘Ocean’s’ series. Unfortunately, this film is anything but a fresh offering in the heist/con artist genre. While not a bad film per se, ‘Steal’ suffers from predictable twists and turns and a “been there done that” story. Granted, it’s not uncommon to see films borrowing from other hit films, but it is perhaps more frustrating to see so much talent wasted in such a disposable film. Kurt Russell, Jay Baruchel, and Terrence Stamp all deserve better than this film as their acting talents are wasted in forgettable roles.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1 1080p. How does it look? This hi-def transfer is crisp and clear.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? This track delivers all the right notes.

Extras:
* Various studio film trailers.
* “The Making of The Theft of the Mona Lisa”- Less of a making of and more of a side by side comparison of film clips and green screen work.
* “Doing The Crime: Making The Art of the Steal” contains film clips, cast and crew interviews, and discussions about the script, characters, casting, directing, etc.
* Commentary by writer/director Jonathan Sobol and producer Nicholas Tabarrok. The two provide information and factoids about filming scenes, locations, production design, cast and crew members, shots and much more. Nothing special like the movie itself.

May 1, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Jay Baruchel, Kurt Russell, Terrence Stamp, The Art Of The Steal Blu-ray Review