Band of Robbers

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Band of Robbers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAaron Nee
Adam Nee
Written by
  • Aaron Nee
  • Adam Nee
Based onThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNoah Rosenthal
Edited by
  • Aaron Nee
  • Adam Nee
Music byJoel P. West
Production
company
Torn Sky Entertainment
Distributed byGravitas Ventures
Release dates
  • June 13, 2015 (2015-06-13) (LA Film Festival)
  • January 15, 2016 (2016-01-15) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$20,555[1]

Band of Robbers is a 2015 American crime comedy film written and directed by brothers Aaron and Adam Nee, based on Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It stars Kyle Gallner as Huck Finn and Adam Nee as Tom Sawyer. Matthew Gray Gubler, Melissa Benoist, Daniel Edward Mora, Eric Christian Olsen, Hannibal Buress, and Stephen Lang also star.

In this modern-day retelling, the two iconic rascals are grown up and small-time crooks still searching for the fabled Murrell's treasure that has eluded them since childhood. The story draws heavily from Twain's classic novels, including characters, plot twists and even dialogue.

Band of Robbers premiered at the 2015 LA Film Festival, and received a limited theatrical release in the United States on January 15, 2016, by Gravitas Ventures.

Plot[edit]

When Huck Finn is released from jail he is greeted by his lifelong friend, Tom Sawyer, now an underachieving cop who just can't let go of their childhood dreams of wealth and glory. Tom convinces the reluctant Huck and their bumbling friends Joe Harper and Ben Rogers to rob a pawnshop where their friend and contact, the alcoholic vagrant Muff Potter, believes Injun Joe, a savage and murderous white career criminal who admires and appropriates Native American culture, has hidden Murrell's treasure. Tom explains that robbing bad guys makes them the good guys. Things get complicated when Tom's commander assigns him to train Becky Thatcher, an eager-to-please rookie partner, and the hung-over band of robbers' heist goes awry. But that doesn't stop Tom; instead, he leads the band on a wild treasure hunt from one mysterious clue to another. When Huck's friend, Mexican day laborer Jorge Jimenez, is mistaken as part of the band's activities and arrested, Huck and Tom, on the run from a vengeful Injun Joe and the police, lead the band on a mission to rescue him and be "heroes".

Cast[edit]

Release[edit]

The world premiere of Band of Robbers was held at the 2015 LA Film Festival on June 13, 2015.[2][3] The film was picked up for distribution by Gravitas Ventures, and had a limited release on January 15, 2016 in theaters in 11 cities.[4]

Reception[edit]

Band of Robbers received generally positive reviews from The New York Times,[5] Variety,[6] and The Cleveland Plain Dealer.[7] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 6.51/10.[8] It has drawn comparisons to the films of Wes Anderson, particularly Bottle Rocket, and the Coen brothers.[9]

It won the Director's Choice Award at the Naples International Film Festival.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Band of Robbers (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  2. ^ Kilday, Gregg (May 5, 2015). "Los Angeles Film Festival Unveils Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Patten, Dominic (June 1, 2015). "'Band Of Robbers' LA Film Festival Trailer: 'Supergirl's Melissa Benoist In Grown-Up Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Brooks, Brian (January 17, 2016). "Oscar Nominees 'Brooklyn,' 'Room,' 'Spotlight' Jump; 'Lady In The Van' Solid – Specialty B.O." Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  5. ^ Holden, Stephen (January 14, 2016). "Review: 'Band of Robbers' Riffs on Mark Twain Characters in Today's Missouri". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  6. ^ Leydon, Joe (January 16, 2016). "Film Review: 'Band of Robbers'". Variety. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  7. ^ Connors, Joanna (January 14, 2016). "'Band of Robbers' review: Clever modern twist on Mark Twain is comedy treasure". cleveland.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  8. ^ "Band Of Robbers (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  9. ^ "Review: Band of Robbers". JoBlo. The JoBlo Network. January 14, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  10. ^ "2015 Festival Winners". Naples International Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2019.

External links[edit]

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