“I am in-car-cer-a-ted,” says Joe Bang (Daniel Craig). “Yeah, we got a plan to get you out,” replies Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) as he and his brother, Clyde (Adam Driver), are getting ready to try to pull off a heist and are in desperate need of Bang’s talents in the comedy caper film, Logan Lucky.
Jimmy Logan is a dedicated father to his daughter, Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie), but when he loses his construction job due to insurance issues and his ex-wife, Bobbie Jo (Katie Holmes), tells him she and her husband are moving across state lines, he becomes determined to get enough money to fight for custody. The problem is he doesn’t have a dime to his name. Undeterred, Jimmy recruits his one-armed brother, Clyde, to help him put together a small crew to pull off a complex heist.
While Logan was working construction and building new underground tunnels for NASCAR, he discovered where they store the money and how they move it during the races. Realizing they’ll need the talents of a professional thief who knows how to blow up bank vaults, the Logan brothers visit Joe Bang in prison to talk him into joining them. Once they reveal their plan to get him out of prison and then back into it without the guards and prison staff noticing, Bang decides to throw in with the brothers provided they also bring in Bang’s two brothers to help as well.
Reluctantly, the brothers agree. They also bring in their kid sister, Mellie (Riley Keough), to help. With their crew assembled and a plan worked out, the Logan brothers move forward with their robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring a first-rate cast, Logan Lucky is a clever, well-written, and hilarious caper film that has twists and turns no one will see coming. It’s a laugh-out-loud, charming, and at times sweet movie with likeable characters brought to life by A-list talent.
Channing Tatum shines as Jimmy, the down-on-his-luck father who only wants to stop his ex from taking his daughter further away from him. He only plans the heist as a way to keep his little girl close to him. Channing’s Jimmy is the heart and soul of the film. Tatum also has great chemistry with Adam Driver who plays his loyal, one-armed brother Clyde who at first wants nothing to do with the caper, telling his brother that his life of crime is over. Clyde ultimately gives in simply because they’re incredibly close and would do anything for each other.
It’s Daniel Craig, however, who steals (pun intended) the film with his entertaining performance as Joe Bang, the “bank vault expert” who, without the brothers, has no hope of pulling off a heist. Every scene with Craig crackles with energy and his deadpan delivery of funny lines hits perfectly every time. The most entertaining scenes include Craig.
Riley Keough is sexy and sassy as little sister Mellie who has more smarts than her two brothers put together but refuses to let them try this crazy scheme without her help. She’s probably the most sane and sensible character in the film.
With excellent directing, a superb cast, and a smart, original and very funny script, Logan Lucky is one of the best comedy heist films to come along in years. It’s also one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Don’t let yourself be robbed of a good time at the movies, go see Logan Lucky.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language and some crude comments
Running Time: 119 minutes
Release Date: August 18, 2017
