On paper this remake of the 1966 heist caper starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine has all the makings of a great comedy.
It's been written by the award-winning Coen brothers, directed by Michael Hoffman (The Last Station and One Fine Day) and features a wonderful cast of Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz and Alan Rickman.
Yet it lacks the charm and spark of the original.
It feels terribly outdated and the attempts at farce and physical humour fall completely flat.
While Firth looks stiff and uncomfortable, Rickman is totally in his element hamming it up beautifully and giving us more than an eyeful.
But when the funniest thing in the film are dogs riding monkeys at a rodeo, alarm bells really start to jangle.
If you appreciated this article then please consider donating to the Morning Star's Fighting Fund to ensure we can keep developing your paper.
Printable
Email