As a deadly Category 5 hurricane bears down on the evacuated coastal town of Gulfport, Alabama, a group of thieves and hackers attempt the robbery of a lifetime by stealing $600 million dollars of old currency that is scheduled for destruction at a U.S. Treasury facility. When his brother is taken hostage during the heist, Will, a meteorologist played by Toby Kebbell, must join forces with Casey, a tough Federal agent, played by Maggie Grace, who is sought after by the ruthless criminals after they learn that she is the only one who possesses the security code to the Treasury vault. As these unwitting allies evade the villains in Will's armored storm chaser vehicle, both parties find themselves at the mercy of Mother Nature. Car chases, floods, killer winds, and death-defying stunts ensue.
The 2018 crime-thriller-meets-rugged adventure film,
The Hurricane Heist, was directed by Rob Cohen, who is best known for helming
The Fast and the Furious (2001) and
Stealth (2005). Like those earlier works, this one will not be featured in Academy Awards history books, but it nonetheless succeeds as a gloriously entertaining popcorn movie that flaunts ridiculously implausible action scenarios, rushed digital effects, and endearingly clichéd characters on its sleeve like a badge of honor. The opening sequence, where the childhood Will and his brother watch their father lose his life during Hurricane Andrew, sets the stage for familiar cinematic ground by shamelessly ripping off the backstory of
Twister (1996). We know from the start that these brothers, who have drifted apart in their adult lives, must come to terms with their internal strife while fighting thieves and weathering an even worse storm.
The Hurricane Heist features a scene where a protagonist kills a criminal pursuer by throwing a tire hubcap into a fierce storm wind and watching it slice into the villain. We also see our good guys fleeing through the eye of the storm in 18-wheelers while the bad guy in another truck is sucked into the raging storm wall. Most importantly, we see our lead hero and heroine use climbing equipment from a mall sports store to brace themselves in while shooting the glass roof in order to create an atmospheric pressure drop that sucks out the evildoers who are chasing them. None of these moments are even remotely grounded in reality, but they're wildly fun to watch. If you cannot get a least a little enjoyment from this film, then you're no good.
Grace, who is best known as Liam Neeson's unfortunate daughter in the 2008 thriller,
Taken, and Kebbell, who played Doctor Doom in the recent
Fantastic Four reboot, are solidly engaging to watch as they save the day. Their characters even take advantage of a couple of seconds of downtime during the fray to discuss the perils of global warming and its effect on natural storm phenomena.
This movie will not change your life, but it earns a happy thumbs-up from me because, well, because it's about a heist that takes place during a hurricane.
The Blu-ray looks and sounds fantastic.
Rob Cohen's interview and his commentary track are just as fun as the main feature.
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The Hurricane Heist (2018)
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