Bandits

Bruce Willis plays Joseph 'Joe' Blake, a tough criminal with a flair for the ladies

Billy Bob Thornton plays Terry Lee Collins, Joe's hypochondriac sidekick

Cate Blanchett plays Kate Wheeler, a bored housewife looking for adventure

Troy Garity plays Harvey 'Dog' Pollard the getaway driver and Joe's cousin.

The Plot

The movie opens with Joe and Terry in the Alamo Bank where they are apparently failing to rob it. The police have surrounded the bank and the robbers seem to be fighting between themselves. Before everything goes to pot we go back in time to where it all started and find Joe and Terry in prison.

After a daring escape involving a cement truck and several plastic deer, Joe and Terry arrive in a town and immediately rob a bank. They escape and end up in someones house where they discuss there future. Terry comes up with the idea of kidnapping the bank managers family at his own home and going to the bank in the morning to rob it quietly. They proceed to do this and become known as the "sleepover bandits" To complete the gang they need a getaway driver and Joe comes up with his cousin, Harvey 'Dog' Pollard - a stunt man and explosives expert.

Along comes Kate, the bored housewife, who initially meets Terry as he tries to carjack her, but that goes awry and Terry ends up taking Kate to the hideout where Joe is waiting. Kate though initially attracted to Joe, ends up sleeping with both him and Terry causing strife within the gang. I will leave the plot here, but as you may guess the gang gets more and more famous and more and more messed up as they go along, which leads them to the first/final scene.

My View

Barry Levinson did a great job bringing together Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett in this great comedy. The three bounce of each other perfectly and the script brings out the best in them all. Bruce Willis plays a great charismatic criminal, but Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of a hypochondriac is far better. Cate Blanchette is a wonderful supporting actress and does a great job of making the other two bounce off each other. I love the twists and turns in this movie and would highly recommend it to all.

This comedy is well worth watching and brings out the best in some great actors. With a little violence and bad language it may not be appropriate for younger children but it is great for teenagers and adults.