"Takers" is a teenage crime thriller (or is it drama?). It's so crappy and terrible you can say its the "Twilight" of the crime genre.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Check his docket and pray for a romantic comedy, a sci-fier, a western, anything, really, even a porno. That's because Matt Dillon has a weakness for armored car heist scripts. Should the former Flamingo Kid make one more of these routine genre movies, he'll have himself a trilogy. Just last year, he played a "taker", a guard, in Nimrod Antal's "Armored"; this time, he's blue, a good guy who stops the "Takers", a detective named Jack Welles. Maybe next time he'll play the truck. Maybe next time Dillon will star in a movie that's worthy of his talent. While "Armored" was by no means a brilliant piece of moviemaking, at least the actual robbery was halfway plausible; far-fetched, perhaps, but plausible enough to stave off laughter from the moviegoer. Unlike "Takers", where Detective Jack Welles faces criminals who are practically performance artists when it comes to hijacking armored cars. After the bravura bank robbery that opens the film(featuring an escape plan that is flat-out ludicrous), the thieves(featuring Hayden Christensen reimagined as Jason Bourne; a born-again Christensen) up the stakes with an even more daring caper. In broad daylight, the thieves steal the trucks on a busy street during rush hour, where a whole bunch of hypotheticals come into play which would prevent the job from being successfully pulled off. These armed robbers have a David Blaine-mentality when it comes to armed robbery, an exhibitionist streak, as there are just too many people who are watching them steal the loot. Although "Armored" had its share of credibility issues(in particular, no GPS system on the truck), "Takers" expects the moviegoer to believe that the police wouldn't be able to ferret out a fake road construction crew during the interim leading up to the implosion, and that there's not a cop around during the shootout between the guards and the thieves. When Ghost(T.I.) had explained the job to his "boyz", the crew's initial hesitation was due to the expediency of the job, which posed an affront to their professionalism. This would seem downright laughable, since there's nothing professional looking about the set-up. In a good heist pic, the more painstakingly intricate the preparations are, the better. Needless to say, "Takers" is no "Ocean's Eleven". The group sorely lacks a charismatic ringleader. They need somebody like, say, Matt Dillon. As the straight and arrow detective, Detective Welles, however, isn't going to garner any votes for "father of the year"; his impromptu take-your-daughter-to-work day could have gone horribly wrong. When "Takers" introduces the detective's daughter, it doesn't spend the time needed to portray Jack as a caring father like how the filmmaker probably had intended. Since "Takers" wastes time on an extended foot race between Dillon and a perp(Chris Brown, in an impressive feat of...running), the filmmaker compresses Jack's personal and professional life in one scene without realizing how it makes the detective look. He looks like a jackass.… Expand

This movie was ok. The movie goes too fast and it doesn't let the story and characters build up. It also introduces things or people and doesn't say what they are or who they are until later in the movie. Chis Brown's sequence where he's being chased by the cops was a great scene. T.I's character was too predictable but the last 30 minutes of the movie are really good. But it could of been better.

This film was awesome! Just seeing all of these FINE men in one movie was enough to get me and my girls going. But hands down, CHRIS BROWN'S action sequence was superb. You have got to see this movie just for that! The movie was so kick-ass, I'm seeing it again this weekend.

One of my favorite movies of the year so far. Not only was the eye candy on point, but the action scenes were exciting to watch. Chris Brown's chase scene was the best part of the movie. I was very pleased that the audience enjoyed it as much as I did and was also happy that Idris got to keep his accent. I'm most likely seeing this movie another four or five times.

"Takers" is an action flick centered around a few robberies that manages to keep you on your toes for most of 2 hours. There are a few story lines afoot, but none too distracting, and all meaningfully advance the plot . For the subject matter, the acting was solid all the way around; nothing seemed forced or trite. The scenes were action-packed, but not over-the-top Michael Bay type stuff. Moreover, when there was violence, it seemed necessary to the story and not gratuitous. I can't believe the Metacritic User Score on this one currently is below 6. I talked to others who liked this movie as much as I did, some even better. I'd give this movie a 7.5/10.… Expand

I must have yawned atleast 10 times during this film. This is one of those movies that has a lot going on without really having "a lot" going on. Its one dimensional, I felt like they were just trying to glamorize that criminal life style. I felt like I was watching Chris Brown, T.I, & Idris Elba instead of watching the characters they were playing. Nothing is new, & nothing is impressive. This movie just rest on pretty the whole time where is the Depth?… Expand

Everyone in this movie does a great job of acting...except Chris Brown. The story was somewhat intriguing at first but eventually left me unsatisfied. The story was a little to simple for me and it could have used some better character development of crew of bandits. I was annoyed by the classic shaky camera during action scenes but other than that most of the action scenes were entertaining. If it wasnt for the great acting of Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Jay Hernandez and even T.I. this movie would have sucked. They saved it, and so I can say this movie was "good"... for an action movie.… Expand

I'm glad it wasn't a straight to DVD movie. Why though? I can't pinpoint the reason exactly. Maybe it was the way the audience (and myself occasionally) cheered or bemoaned at some of the movie's key moments, or just that it's been a long time coming for a heist movie. I'd say see it, but only if you can identify most of the main actors in real life (Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown, T.I., Michael Ealy, Idris Elba, Matt Dillon). Otherwise, you probably won't think that this movie is anything special.… Expand

It usually takes about five minutes to judge if a movie is watchable or not. With this one, it took me only six seconds to judge that it is pure crap. Come on guys...this is so ridiculous, with everybody forcefully trying to act cool, like teenagers in a bar, delivering cool onliners which really never actually are cool. Incredible that these kind of movies still get made...

i watched the whole movie and i was begging god to end, but it lasted almost a nice two hours. hmm, the characters are the biggest miss in this movie. the actors, i mean t.i. was terrible. chris brown gave me some surprises like the running scene, but, honestly, nobody was good. matt d, paul w..i don't know. but t.i. should just stick with the rapping. the plot was similar to the plot from the 'the town' but, it makes 'the town' look like 'l.a. confidential'. i don't know. please, don't make movies like this. never ever.… Expand

Although TAKERS can be potentially one-dimensional with it's main cast of characters and clichéd in it's own story, climatic actions scenes and decent acting help bring some some momentum to the table. TAKERS stars a whole list of popular hip-hop artists, a few talented actors, and Hayden Christensen, blends them all into one film in hopes of producing a movie that will attract the modern film audience. While it eventually does just that, other types of individuals may be able to discover it's flaws without much trouble. The buildup in TAKERS is like any typical heist movie. It opens with a bank heist, the robbers make out with the money, and then they decide to perform another heist soon thereafter. The main group of five is approached by an older comrade of theirs named 'Ghost' (T.I.) who was released on probation for good behavior on a sentence from robbery 5 years previously. He suggests the 5 perform a heist differently this time; steal $20 million from a pair of armored vans via 'Italian Job' style. What follows is the usual build-up of the heist and the problems of the people involved, which is the real problem. The term 'forced character buildup' comes in clearly at this point. I really never cared for any of the main central characters due to their single dimensional personalities. While there is the drug stricken sister of Elba and the awkward father-daughter relationship of Dillon, that pair of backstories is really the only ones the audience is presented to throughout the film. In a film so titled 'TAKERS', the audience isn't taken it, persay, by the characters. You really don't get to know them, and its hard to find sympathy when negative things happen to each of them. TAKERS does house some great action scenes at times, and climatic shootouts that kept me suspended on who was going to get out alive. I was also fond of the Chris Brown chase later on in the film, and his broad range of acrobatic skills kept me entertained until it's end. The acting, at least from a few actors, is decent. Dillon is great as always, and Walker and Ealy prove to show that they have decent acting skills. Chris Brown was decent as well as T.I. Hayden Christensen still needs some more time in acting school. Although TAKERS is a clichéd and unoriginal heist film, it's many action scenes held my attention throughout, and the acting from the more veteran actors was a relieve. TAKERS never brings anything new to the table in any means, but it does bring some variety and excitement for the more modern viewers.… Expand

This movie had a lot going for it except for one thing: the acting. If you are looking for a movie like "The Usual Suspects" or even "Ocean's Eleven" then you are wasting your time. This movie was #1 in theaters when it came out (Chris Brown should be thanking God for that considering his acting was on par with pornography on this one). TI could really use some acting lessons (perhaps while he does his second 11 month bid). Idris Elba, Hayden Christensen, and whomever else was in the movie should file this one on their taxes as charity work for the careers of the first two mentioned. Those other actors could have chosen better scripts and I personally suspect they felt sorry for Chris and TI and that is why they took their respective roles. Finally, Idris Elba needs to quit doing these sorry movies (like Obsessed; we know Beyonce can't act but did they have to tie the anchor around Elba's legs on that one?). I think he deserves better parts than what he is taking.… Expand

Great pace and a sense of urgency, though it never really lives up to those conditions. The cast is strong with a few semi-big names......Christiansen oddly enough gives one of his better performances here though he doesn't appear that much. After the first half hour, I could start to see the film swirling down the toilet but it never quite makes a complete flush. We are then left with a soggy piece of paper that we don't know what to do with. Is it good or bad? Who cares?… Expand

"An exciting action which is great for wasting time." Some scenes are interesting and excising but the whole movie is in a weak story-line. It could be better if had some better actors specially for the cop guy is almost terrible and his reacts are very weak. But I think the most important problem is with the script.

great action movie> One of the greatests action movies of all time (in my opinion) great storyline great ending & beginning. I could watch this movie 90 times without getting bored