Logan Lucky (2017)

As I've said many times before, I love heist movies. There's something about them I just can't say no to. The problem with heist movies is that they are usually terrible. There are a few exceptions here and there and Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven is one of my favourites. That's why I decided to give Logan Lucky a chance, same director and a promising cast.

When he's let go from his construction job, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) decides to put in motion a robbery plan that has been on his mind for quite some time and he convinces his one-handed bartender brother Clyde (Adam Driver) and his hairdresser sister Mellie (Riley Keough) to help him pull off the heist. But they need the help of Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), a convicted criminal and demolitions expert who is currently doing time. That's only the first snag of many as the Logan family seems to be cursed.

The story is very engaging and entertaining, it has a nice pace and characters you care about, and it has enough twists and turns along the way to keep you interested throughout the film. The final twist may not be the best twist ever, but it's still good.

However, it is not perfect. There are way too many subplots in this that are either unnecessary or go nowhere, like that involving a NASCAR driver, played by Sebastian Stan, and his sponsor, played by Seth McFarlane. Not to mention the one with Katherine Waterston and the one with Hillary Swank. The Jimmy's daughter subplot is a nice addition though as it is the heart of the film and delivers a quite emotional scene towards the end.

Fingerprint Releasing, Bleecker Street

That said, the comedic elements are much stronger than the dramatic ones. Logan Lucky is indeed a very funny and witty movie with plenty of stupid and dry humour and quite some memorable scenes, like the one where Clyde's hand/arm gets sucked in by the vacuum. There may not be jokes in every single scene, but most of them work nicely. The idiotic decisions of the characters also make for some good laughs.

The cast is another reason why this film works so well. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver are both great as the Logan brothers, and their chemistry is surprisingly strong. Riley Keough also does a good job as the Mellie Logan and Jack Quaid shines as one of Joe Bang's brothers, but Daniel Craig is the one stealing the show. He is great as Joe Bang as he proves to be a great comedic timing. Who knew James Bond could do that?