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BANDITS (PG-13)

Plot Summary: Two newly escaped criminals decide to make a fortune by embarking on a quirky bank-robbing expedition.

Reason for the Rating: Some sexual content, language, and violence.

It seems like it would be difficult to come up with a new spin on the old “bank robber movie” plot, but BANDITS does a good job anyway. The movie’s main characters aren’t merely your everyday bank robbers, but rather the “Sleepover Bandits”--a pair of prison escapees who rob banks by taking the bank president hostage in his or her own home the night before the robbery. This tactic is extremely successful and soon elevates them to national fame.

However, their plan becomes tangled along the way as they acquire--and both fall in love with--a woman who insists on being their hostage, ultimately becoming part of the gang but also stirring things up quite a bit.

BANDITS is creative and well acted. Bruce Willis is comfortably appealing as Joe, the tough “cool guy” who is a naturally attractive leader. (This is a role that Willis plays often, and he continues this pattern with charm.) Cate Blanchett shines, blending craziness with craftiness as Kate, the voluntary hostage who also manages to control the hearts of the bandits.

Still, Billy Bob Thornton steals the show as Terry, the awkward, quirky intelligence behind the operation. He brilliantly plays an insecure hypochondriac who somehow becomes a master bank robber as well. Thornton is the movie’s comic relief, and he makes it a lot of fun. BANDITS won’t keep you on the edge of your seat, but thanks to Thornton it is amusing, and it contains a nice surprise ending.

The film is not without its moral problems, however. It basically glorifies criminal behavior from start to finish, possibly making it difficult for younger children to understand the real consequences of this kind behavior. Also, the movie sends negative romantic and sexual messages. For instance, as the plot develops, Kate ends up, at different times, in bed with both Joe and Terry. When they ask her to choose between them, she refuses, so they agree to “share” her in both an emotional and sexual way. It’s a sort of polygamist mentality, but outside of marriage. This sort of romantic notion, and others like it, are very dysfunctional and take a lot away from the value of an otherwise enjoyable movie.

FamilyFans.com Recommends: BANDITS is a fun flick that parents and mature teenagers might enjoy, but leave the kids at home.

After the Show…If members of your family choose to view this movie, use these questions to spark discussion about it afterward:

-- In what ways does this movie glorify illegal behavior? Do you think that’s OK in a movie like this? Why or why not?

-- What were the positive and negative aspects of Kate’s relationship with both Joe and Terry?

-- What do you think Joe and Terry might have accomplished if they’d used their talent and intelligence in pursuit of legal riches instead of money through crime?

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