Blending comedy and action is a formula that works when both elements are strong, as in, say, Beverly Hills Cop or 48 Hours. In Bait, this isn't the case.
Bait (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:81
Fresh:21
Rotten:60
Average Rating:4.2/10
Consensus: Even though Jamie Foxx shines in Bait, the movie suffers from music video roots and a formulaic script that strains credibility.
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Box Office: $5,485,591
Synopsis: Antoine Fuqua's follow-up to 1998's THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS is a tense action-thriller with a healthy dose of comedy. Jamie Foxx stars as Alvin Sanders, a petty thief who ends up serving jail time... Antoine Fuqua's follow-up to 1998's THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS is a tense action-thriller with a healthy dose of comedy. Jamie Foxx stars as Alvin Sanders, a petty thief who ends up serving jail time after he is caught stealing prawns from a seafood warehouse. His cellmate, John Jaster (Robert Pastorelli), is one of two men who pulled off a miraculous heist at the Federal Gold Reserve in New York City. Just before Jaster dies of a heart attack, he gives Alvin vague instructions to share with his wife, which may or may not reveal the location of the stolen gold. U.S. Treasury Department chief investigator Edgar Clenteen (David Morse) is convinced that Alvin is the only link to Jaster's invisible partner, Bristol (Doug Hutchison). In order to locate Bristol, Clenteen implants a state-of-the-art tracking device into Alvin's jaw and releases him from prison without telling him the real reason why. When Alvin reunites with his girlfriend, Lisa (Kimberly Elise), he finds that she now has a son to which he is the father. He soon learns the genuine cause for his release, thrusting him into a dangerous world of mystery and murder. In order to save his wife and child, Alvin must cooperate with the evil Bristol and help him locate the gold. [More]
Starring: Jamie Foxx, David Morse, Megan Dodds, Jeffrey Donovan
Starring: Jamie Foxx, David Morse, Megan Dodds, Jeffrey Donovan, Mike Epps, Kimberly Elise, Doug Hutchison, David Paymer, Robert Pastorelli, Nestor Serrano, Kirk Acevedo, Jamie Kennedy, Tia Texada
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy, Adam Scheinman, Andrew Scheinman
Producer: Sean Ryerson
Composer: Mark Mancina
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Reviews for Bait
The film capitalizes on Foxx's comedic strengths and is better off because of it.
Bait makes a fatal mistake, one this kind of movie should never make unless it actually is The Matrix or Terminator 2: Judgment Day: It's long.
Just when Foxx's vector begins ascending, the rest of the film unfortunately banks over and starts a long slow dead-stick glide.
Bait probably would have been better with a little less plotting and more leisure time for Foxx and his friends to really develop memorable moments.
It's action-packed, it's funny and it features lots of solid thespian emoting.
Stands out for refusing to settle for the narcissism of Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence movies, instead addressing human vulnerabilities.
Inside Bait, there is a decent movie desperately trying to get out, but never quite succeeding.
[Fuqua's] pacing is slack, so there's no suspense, and he can't get the story in gear because he gives important details and minor ones exactly the same weight.
Chock-full of stock action-movie moves ... and offensive stereotypes.
It's just respectable trash, and a dress rehearsal for better things ahead.
While never an inherently terrible movie, Bait digs itself a deep grave early on, simply by its own sheer mediocrity in every aspect.
Despite its genre trappings, Bait is an entertaining and occasionally clever picture with a crackling peformance by Jamie Foxx.
Foxx is a talented performer, and he has a charm about him. But this mix of comedy and action doesn't blend well, and he can't pull it off.
Folks will soon forget Bait, but Foxx should have a rewarding career ahead of him in better films.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
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