DVD Review: The Code [Blu-ray]: Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Radha Mitchell, Mimi Leder: Movies & TV

Jun23

DVD Review: The Code [Blu-ray]: Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Radha Mitchell, Mimi Leder: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 23 June, 11:06 PM

Product Description
From acclaimed director Mimi Leder, with an all-star action cast led by Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas and Rahda Mitchell, THE CODE is full of deceit, thievery and twists at every turn. While pulling a down-and-dirty jewelry heist on a subway train, Jack (Banderas) encounters Ripley (Freeman), a legendary thief who was casing the same job. In spite of Jack s initial reluctance, Ripley manages to rope him into an impossible job: the theft of two priceless Faberge Imperial Eggs from the heavily guarded vault of a New York diamond wholesaler. The stakes rise for Jack and Ripley when Ripley s goddaughter (Mitchell) is kidnapped by the KGB. Staying one step ahead of the NYPD, the FBI, the diamond merchants and the vicious Russian KGB crime boss determined to have the priceless eggs for himself, Jack and Ripley must find a way to pull off the heist and make it out alive.

Worth a watch, a decent Blu,

By Steve Kuehl “SLV Video” (Ben Lomond, CA) -

There are three popular leads in this that could make it a must-see, but in the end the chemistry only hits the mark with Radha Mitchell. We have a standard heist film with plenty of plot twists (five in the last ten minutes) and suspenseful moments being supplied by Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. Radha plays the goddaughter of Morgan’s world famous thief, Banderas plays the sidekick who falls for her.

Plenty of homages here, even down to the dance scene from Basic Instinct. They put the same shirt on Banderas as Douglas, and a sexier more revealing dress on Mitchell - both grinding to some rave music. A very similar scene from Entrapment but Banderas instead of Zeta-Jones, and the list continues. There are also some mad Russians, ego-driven Federal officers, and rebellious NYPD hot shots filling the supporting ranks. What makes this watchable is wondering where the twists might come in and seeing if they can pull off the impossible heist.

The Blu clarity looks great at times, average in various other indoor scenes. The music makes the 5.1 get utilized the most, and the supplements add a dry logistical feel to the rest. The cast interviews are forgettable and mismanaged, and the documentary gives some generic insight on production. Normally I would rate this similar in stars to the other reviewer, but the entire package makes for an enjoyable evening, filled with memorable scenes and Radha Mitchell finally playing an erotic rated R role.

“Some People Were Born To Write Songs…I Was Born To Steal…”,

By Mark Barry at Revival Records, Berwick Street (London, UK) -
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a strange one. The cast is admirable enough, the story is very clever in parts and the director an experienced professional who has delivered very good movies before - yet somehow, “The Code” (aka “Thick As Thieves”) just doesn’t work.

The idea on paper of Banderas and Freeman working together is probably what got this made - the reality of it is that there’s very little chemistry between them - they come across as misfits instead of matches.

It does work between Banderas and the lovely/sexy Radha Mitchell and its also fab to see Robert Forster in any movie. But when you think of the sheer electricity that Freeman and Jack Nicholson generated in “The Bucket List”, you realise that there’s something’s seriously amiss here. It’s known as “The Code” in the States on Region 1, but called “Thick As Thieves” in Europe on Region 2 - and you know you’re in trouble when they can’t even settle on a name…

The Blu Ray picture is exceptional in places (when Freeman and Banderas plan the heist in the bar - close up on their faces), but only OK in other places (the NYPD reception in the jewellers). There’s a “Making Of” that consists of the crew shooting segments (mostly outdoors) where Freeman looks bored all the time and Banderas gets eyed up by everyone - there’s also a few cast interviews that are OK, but hardly great.

Three stars. A rental I’m afraid.
Search The Code [Blu-ray]: Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Radha Mitchell, Mimi Leder: Movies & TV from AmAzon

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