It’s been ages since Steven Soderbergh, though I gotta admit I wasn’t too impressed with his last film Side Effects. But still, glad he didn’t end up retiring after all, and he returns to do a heist action comedy, as Soderbergh himself described, Logan Lucky is an anti-glam version of an Ocean movie (per EW) and it’s definitely much smarter than it looks.
Channing Tatum and Adam Driver play brothers Jimmy & Clyde who attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in Charlotte, North Carolina. It did give me a pause for a moment considering what just happened in that town. In any case, they ended up enlisting an explosive expert aptly named Joe Bang (a hilarious Daniel Craig) to help with the plan. The film’s pacing could’ve been a bit more dynamic but fortunately it’s got enough going for it to keep my attention thanks to the actors’ performance. Watching these actors attempt Southern accent was a hoot, Craig was the most surprising as he’s a Brit but I thought Adam Driver’s accent was spot on and made me giggle every time.
The film offers plenty of laughs. There’s a pretty amusing cameo by Seth MacFarlane doing a spot on Cockney accent. But the funniest moments are during the heist itself, and I do think Craig has a career in comedy once his Bond stints are done. The heist faced some challenges along the way, but there’s a clever twist at the end that made you go ha!
I think the strength of the film is the likable characters. Unlike the handsome, well-dressed smarty-pants like the Oceans’ movies, the Logans and the Bangs siblings are simple folks. They’re essentially nice guys who have been dealt a bad hand at life. Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson (yet another talented Irish actor from the Gleeson family!) as Joe Bang’s two brothers are pretty funny as well. Riley Keough (yep, Elvis’ granddaughter) is pretty decent as the sister of the Logan brothers, and cameos by Katie Holmes as Jimmy’s ex wife and Hilary Swank as a Federal Agent. There’s also a sweet father/daughter relationship between Jimmy and his daughter Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie).
I just learned about Soderbergh’s unorthodox distribution deals for this film (made on a relatively low budget of $29 mil). Heh, that’s too bad Logan Lucky didn’t do well as I’d like more filmmakers getting creative control for their work. I hope more people would go and support this movie whilst it’s still in theatres. It’s a zany yet shrewd script by first time screenwriter Rebecca Blunt, who I hope would continue to get more work (that is if that isn’t just a pseudonym). It’s a pretty fun movie that never took itself too seriously, and I find it refreshing that it’s not mean-spirited nor foul-mouthed like so many comedies these days.
Did you see LOGAN LUCKY? Well, what did you think?
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Well, I wasn’t particularly attracted to the movie but after this review, I might really watch it. It sounds pretty awesome!
Hi Shivani! To be honest I wasn’t attracted to it either but ended up enjoying it, so yeah, give it a shot.
I totally forgot about this movie, it came and went pretty fast in theaters. I want to see it but probably not in theater, I’ll give a rent on Bluray.
This one wasn’t marketed heavily, but it might be considered an indie? It’s worth a watch on rental for sure.
I think it just wasn’t well marketed at all. I mean when I first saw the trailer, I thought it’s some kind of a car racing film and not a heist/comedy. A couple of people I work said the same thing, they didn’t know what the heck the film was supposed to be about and didn’t really pay attention to it. Of course it explained why it did so poorly at the box office.
Haven’t seen it and it’s not around, but I like the idea of Daniel Craig in this and will give it a rent.
It’s definitely worth renting Cindy. Daniel Craig is quite a hoot in this, he seemed to have a great time doing it too.
Recently went to see it and thought it was quite enjoyable with a few laughs to be had. Very entertaining.
Hello Nostra! Glad you enjoyed this too. Hope you’re well btw.
Had a pretty good time with this. Even if the pace is a little slow. Nice review.
Hi Dan! The pace is pretty slow but fortunately the story and performances were strong enough to keep my interest and it paid off!
I’m a fan of Soderbergh, but haven’t had the time to see this film. Your eloquent and witty review has persuaded me I should soon.
Hi Vinnie! If you’re a fan of Soderbergh you should definitely see this. Why thank you for your kind words 😀
I’m happy to stop by here, Ruth. I adore your blog and am trying to catch up with what I’ve missed.
Great review! I too wish this movie did better at the box office, as it was such a fresh take on how to finance and distribute a film. I can’t wait to see it again, but yeah, bummer it didn’t rake in more dough.
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