Nicholas Cage isn't "Gone in Sixty Seconds," as the name implies, but hangs around for about two hours in his latest action caper. Alas. Not alas for Cage, who could hang around for hours if it were "Raising Arizona" or "Leaving Las Vegas" or the one about the waitress and the lottery ticket, but alas for more action and less acting.
But, he does action well, leading a very good cast here. Cage plays Randall "Memphis" Raines, a notorious and legendary car booster who abandoned his sterling career after it got too hot.
He is called out of retirement to save his kid brother, who has followed in his footsteps and taken some really wrong steps. The younger brother, Kip (Giovanni Ribisi), has earned the wrath of an angry crime lord. In a plot that couldn't be much thinner, "Memphis" is told that he must snatch 50 high-end cars in three days if he wants to save his brother's life.
So, accordingly, our hero enlists the help of his old cohorts, mainly his former mentor in crime (Robert Duvall) and an old flame (Angelina Jolie) who harbors an old grudge against him, as old flames will.
The trio and a couple more former associates decide to appropriate all 50 cars in one night, and here's where the fun begins with the accompanying car chases. One critic, however, laments not getting a better look at all the classy autos. (They only boost the very best.)
The film is directed by Dominic Sena (Kalifornia), and is rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality and language. It started Thursday at Diamond Cinemas.
