The Score Reviews

Three generations of acting giants and a great director fail miserably in this generic caper film.

You'd think that with this being a heist film that features Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando (in his final film role), that it would be 8 million kinds of awesome. Instead, it's merely somewhat better than average.

The set up is a typical one: veteran longing to get out of the business is wrangled into pulling one last job with an ambitious and arrogant rookie looking to really make a name for himself. The take is a very profitable one, but of course there are complications, namely egos.

With Frank Oz at the helm I alos expected this to have been executd better, or at least have a stronger variation on an old theme. What we get instead though is a more low key and underplayed film. I sort of liked that, but at the same time, it didn't really take the time to deliver something special.

I will say that the heist centerpiece is well done, and yes, the performances are good (the best thing about it), but that's about it. If the film didn't have the talent behind it, this would be really forgettable.

See it if you want, but don't expect a masterpiece.

What Director Frank Oz has put together here are three generations of outstanding Talent.

A sophisticated Heist movie, character driven, with an exciting build up to the Criminal Mastermind Operation. Exciting, tense at times and genius work with the use of the character ?Brian?.

This film gets added to my favourite film endings list.

It's not the best film ever made but I quite liked it! Norton and Bassett are really good, DeNiro's been better and Brando is vile. Directed by Miss Piggy ;o)

Pretty good. I wouldn't watch over again.

"Nice working with you, ace. Okay, bye-bye."

Always loved heist movies but the biggest problem in the genre is that the films tend to be predictable. "The Score" has the same problem but it also features some nice twists.

The strongest thing is the acting. The film features three great actors from three different generations. De Niro, my all-time favourite does another minimalistic yet effective performance as the brains behind it all. Ed Norton, the best actor of today, hasn't failed me yet (although haven't seen "Death to Smoochy"...) and Marlon Brando takes his latest paycheck of his career with a solid performance.

So, is "The Score" worth a look. Yep, for all the fans of the previously mentioned actors. And if you enjoy crime thrillers with a jazzy score, definitely maybe.

It snaps and crackels with style, suspense and excitment. A smart, tense and adreniline-pumping edge of your seat thriller. Robert De Niro and Edward Norton are dynamite. These two actors deliver pure gold to this bold and tension-loaded heist film. Superb, teriffic, brilliant, excellent and truly magnificent. It's pulse-pounding and exhilerating all the way to it's fantastic finish.

De Niro, Norton great combo.

This old-style caper thriller is good that gets its juice from strong characterisations and intricate plotting rather than dumb twists and mindless explosions.

A very good thriller. Norton plays a duel role very well (as a retard and a robber) and De Niro is just classic De Niro. I called the twist at the end, but it doesn't mean its still not a good one.

Hardly a great film but this is about as close as De Niro tends to get to a project worthy of his talent these days. Good performances all round; competent direction by Yoda. Unfortunately, the final twist can be seen coming a mile away.

Good plot. Great cast.

I think this was the first movie I ever saw Marlon Brando in and genuinely did not understand what the big deal was. The film itself however, was really something special. Norton and DeNiro have this great flinty chemistry and the bitterness between them can only boil over. I almost cringe when it does, I like both characters so much. This is a very good heist movie.

You've got 3 generations of amazing actors and a run of the mill heist movie. Worth is for the performances, but other than that you've seen this movie before.

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton - three of the greatest actors of three generations. This draw alone warrants a stroll to view 'The Score' one would assume. But not so fast my friend. If you venture out to witness this movie chances are you will fall asleep within the first hour or come close to taking your own life. Lord knows I was on the brink.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]The plot of 'The Score' runs through the all too familiar terrain of so many crime capers and heist flick predecessors. There's the old pro who wants to retire (Robert DeNiro) who gets pulled into a risky heist planned out by a young pup with some bite (Edward Norton). Will the old pro forgo his plans of retiring on a beach side with little umbrella drinks for one last shot at the big score? If you have to think about this question then you need to get out more.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]The scheme is to break into the Montreal Customs building and steal a sceptor that could be worth as much as 30 million dollars. Stealing a ceptor from French Canadians? Was this idea written on the back of a napkin at a bar?[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]This is in essence the "plot" of 'The Score'. The characters are mere shells and never fleshed out. With any heist picture there should be the scenes where the characters engross themselves with the ins and outs of their scenario, the rehearsing and practicing, and finally the big move. 'The Score' decides to lightly touch the first, skip the second, and barely give the audience much of the third. The film just isn't playing by the rules it gives.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]'The Score' is muddily directed by famed puppeteer Frank Oz. Oz has directed comedies over the past few years but his first foray into drama, or action, or whatever you want to call it, is downright embarrassing. The entire film waddles in muggy darkness, as if they didn't have enough money to light the damn picture. After so many scenes of watching the outlines of actors or making out just their faces it just becomes fruitless to even watch. Maybe some of the money should have been poached from the stars' hefty salaries to make sure that they were adequately lighted.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]The beginning hour of 'The Score' may very well be the worst time I've had in a theater all year. It's drawn out beyond its own bounds to establish a set-up that could have been done properly with only a few minutes. This half of the film is leaden and wallowing in boredom, and it feels like it's never going to end. I think I was actually contemplating suicide at one point.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]The structure of 'The Score' is easy to diagram. The first half has to do with the superfluous set-up, then we have ten minutes of the actual heist sequence, and then? it's done. The film actually ends about three minuets after the heist complete with the now requisite twist ending that anyone with a functional brain will see coming a mile away. What needed to be done is to consolidate that slow-as-a-glacier beginning into something like twenty minutes, then double the length of the heist sequence and actually give it tension. Finally then have the rest of the movie play as a cat-and-mouse game of who has the upper hand with their burgled prize. This would have played with the actors more and at least keep the audience guessing and awake. As it stands, 'The Score' is an incredibly unsuccessful effort when it comes to story structuring. This could be a future classic example of how not to tell a story.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Norton is the only real punch of intensity in the movie. When Norton reappears onscreen it's as if 'The Score' regains a sense of renewed life. He's great to watch, either as the young ambitious hotheaded criminal or as his mentally retarded janitor cover. DeNiro must be getting a good long distance plan because he phones in yet another performance. He plays his character too smooth that the audience can never fear that he is actually in any danger. Brando is basically for comic relief, that is, if you can understand him through his garbled mumbles. Did this man have a stroke or something? Bassett is useless in this film and wasted. Her role is the frequently off camera girlfriend who urges her man to settle down and let this last one go.[/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=darkred]'The Score' is a lousy heist picture and a lousier attempt at entertainment. It lacks tension, proper story structuring, and even basic movie fundamentals like proper lighting. 'The Score' is a wasted ensemble of a great cast that could only echo the dumb cartoon that was 'Con Air'. See 'The Score' if you dare, but make sure to take some NoDoz for the first half.[/color][/font]


[font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: D[/color][/font]

The Score is a movie which really kept me on the edge of my seat when I first saw it. That means something as I'm not easily kept in suspense. And it is a movie I always enjoy watching again especially because it has so many nice details. It is a perfectly well done movie with an exceptional cast and a very entertaining dialogue developing an interesting story which leads towards a quite stirring climax and surprises with an unexpected ending. Robert DeNiro is as brilliant as always. In his role as Nick he again develops a character he hasn't been before. He's just always creating a new character whichever role he takes. He is the only actor I haven't seen playing the same person in an other role. There may be some similarities to characters he has played before, but in the end he's never the same person. I also very much enjoyed Edward Norton in his role as Jackie/Brian. Remembering his great performance in 'Primal Fear', I must say in 'The Score' he delivers an even more impressive performance .

While onbeat, slow (speaking of onbeat) and overly quiet, "The Score" can still thank its moderate entertainment value and rock solid performances from De Niro, Norton and Brando to make it a reasonably fair viewing.

A robber, Nick (Robert De Niro) wants to retire and marry his girlfriend (Angela Bassett). But a friend of his Max (Marlon Brando) convinces him to do one last job. Completing the triangle is Jack Teller (Edward Norton), a brilliant but brash young criminal mastermind whose high-risk temperament is placed in direct counterpoint to Nick's cool, levelheaded demeanor. Norton's performance is doubly magnificent and anyone who hasn't seen this actor in action is missing out big time.Excellent acting is the attraction in this low-key heist movie that features some nice twists.

Marvelous performances from three generations of brilliant actors make this old-fashioned caper a must-see. There's an enormous plot hole at the conclusion, but who really cares?

Great cast...I felt it could have been a little better, but it was interesting enough to keep me watching. Norton did a really good job in his role, especially when he was "Brian."