Band of Robbers
| Band of Robbers | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster for Band of Robbers | |
| Directed by | Aaron and Adam Nee |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Noah Rosenthal |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Joel P. West |
Production company | Torn Sky Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Gravitas Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| 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. 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.
Plot
When Huck Finn (Kyle Gallner) is released from jail he is greeted by his life-long friend, Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee), 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 (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) to rob a pawnshop where their friend and contact, the alcoholic vagrant Muff Potter (Cooper Huckabee), believes Injun Joe, (Stephen Lang), 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 (Melissa Benoist), 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 Jiminez (Daniel Edward Mora), 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
- Kyle Gallner as Huck Finn
- Gabriel Bateman as Young Huck Finn
- Adam Nee as Tom Sawyer
- Willem Miller as Young Tom Sawyer
- Matthew Gray Gubler as Joe Harper
- Hannibal Buress as Ben Rogers
- Melissa Benoist as Officer Becky Thatcher
- Daniel Edward Mora as Jorge Jiminez
- Stephen Lang as Injun Joe
- Eric Christian Olsen as Detective Sid Sawyer
- Johnny Pemberton as Tommy Barnes
- Beth Grant as Widow Douglas
- Cooper Huckabee as Muff Potter
- Lee Garlington as Lt. Polly
- Creed Bratton as Dobbins
- Josh Harp as Packard
- Jack Wallace as Doc Robinson
- Maria Blasucci as Amy Lawrence
- Brian Sacca as Detective Temple
- Jeff Newburg as Pap Finn
Distribution
Band of Robbers was picked up for distribution by Gravitas Ventures and had a limited released Jan. 15, 2016, in theaters in 11 cities and is now available on iTunes/VOD.[2]
Reception
Band of Robbers received generally positive reviews from The New York Times,[3] Variety,[4] and The Cleveland Plain Dealer.[5] On Rotten Tomatoes, 17 out of 23 critics gave it positive reviews for an approval rating of 74%.[6] It has received comparison to the films of Wes Anderson, particularly Bottle Rocket, and the Coen Brothers.[7]
It won the Director's Choice Award at the Naples Film Festival.[8]
External links
References
- ^ "Band of Robbers". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
- ^ "Oscar Nominees 'Brooklyn,' 'Room,' 'Spotlight' Jump; 'Lady In The Van' Solid – Specialty B.O." Deadline.com. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/movies/review-band-of-robbers-riffs-on-mark-twain-characters-in-todays-missouri.html?_r=0
- ^ http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/band-of-robbers-review-1201680656/
- ^ http://www.cleveland.com/moviebuff/index.ssf/2016/01/band_of_robbers_review_clever.html
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/band_of_robbers_2016/
- ^ "Review: Band of Robbers". JoBlo. The JoBlo Network. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ http://www.naplesfilmfest.com/2015-award-winners.html