Movie Review: 'Logan Lucky'
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Dwight Yoakam, Katherine Waterson, Hilary Swank, Daniel Craig, Sebastian Stan, Seth MacFarlane
Plot: Three siblings, rumoured to have carry a family curse, concoct a wild scheme to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Review: So, is this just a redneck Ocean's Eleven? No, it's a whole different film! It's just the same director and a story about a group of oddballs are brought together by one mastermind to pull off an impossible heist where we don't get the whole story ok fine it's redneck Ocean's Eleven.
This isn't a bad thing. Soderbergh stated that it was the similarity to his super-cool crime flick that appealed to him, calling it an 'anti-glam' version. The formula still works, and reskinning it with a different setting and a fresh group of characters makes for a fun time. The film even leans heavily into the similarity with a few visual nods and one very sly background joke.
We follow Jimmy Logan (Tatum), a dedicated father who has lost his job and could lose his daughter. He recruits his siblings Clyde (Driver) and Mellie (Keough) to help his break infamous bank robber Joe Bang (Craig) and steal bags of cash from the speedway. The characters are all distinct and plenty of fun. One of Soderbergh's strengths is drawing great understated comedic performances form his cast. Daniel Craig is a stand out playing against type as Joe Bangs, and demonstrates some solid comedy chops.
The film is plenty of fun and unfolds nicely. We like all the characters and there's a phenomenal cast backing them up. Seth MacFarlane may have soured things, but he plays an insufferable douchebag, so he was accurately cast at least. Unfortunately it lacks the spark needed to turn it into a really great film.
That said, this is a fun caper that will keep you entertained and offer a few chuckles.