It’s been four years since director Steven Soderbergh retired from Hollywood, and while ‘Logan Lucky’ will serve as his first feature film back in the director’s chair, this will actually be the seventh project he’s put his fingerprints on since said “retirement”. Ah, artists: they say what they mean, they don’t mean what they say, and we poor plebs are left scratching our heads when it comes time to forking over $20 for a movie by a guy who doesn’t make movies anymore. It’s a crazy world, isn’t it? You may remember filmmaker Steven Soderbergh for helping Julia Roberts win an Oscar, giving us the Clooney, Pitt, Damon bromance, and getting Channing Tatum back into a tear-away g-string. He is a god among cinefiles, horny women and anyone with a penis - gay, straight, everyone wants to bone Clooney, Pitt and Damon. Everyone. And this genius put them all in the one room, at the same time... thrice. With the ‘Oceans’ trilogy being Soderbergh’s most successful project to date, it’s should come as no surprise that he’s “come out of retirement” for yet another comedy heist caper.
SWITCH: 'LOGAN LUCKY' TRAILER
Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum, ‘Magic Mike’) is a recently let-go single father who decides to drag his one-armed brother Clyde (Adam Driver, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’) and hairdresser sister Mellie (Riley Keough, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’) into a heist. Set in North Carolina, the siblings decide to hit up their local NASCAR track when Jimmy discovers their money delivery system is a set of easily hackable pneumatic tubes. Along for the ride is currently incarcerated Joe Bang (Daniel Craig, ‘Spectre’) and his idiot brothers Sam and Fish. With a hair-brained scheme, a family curse hanging over their heads and the biggest event on the NASCAR calendar to do it, it’s pedal to the metal to get the loot.
There are so many holes the whole thing is a wedge of Swiss cheese but my god this movie is fun.
So, the set up is paper thin - I think, not totally sure, Jimmy decides to steal the money to pay for a lawyer to stop his ex from moving their daughter a couple extra miles away, across state lines, which they practically border anyway. And there are so many holes that the whole thing is a wedge of Swiss cheese - but my god, this movie is fun. Soderbergh himself has called this an “inversion of ‘Oceans Eleven'” - it’s not glam, there’s no tech, and these people are broke. Unfortunately he’s taken this “inversion” directive a little too far and this film lacks that signature style. After all, it is a heist film, with humour, it needs some of that stylish Soderbergh stank. Yeah, you know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout. But none of that matters, none of it, because I’ve got two words for you - Daniel. Craig. This British hunk-of-spunk and Grand Poobah of suave AKA James Freakin Bond plays a boiled egg-loving, bleach blonde explosives expert hick with a southern accent, and it’s one of the greatest performances ever. Craig has an absolute ball with this character, and it’s just as much fun to watch.
‘Logan Lucky’ is a captivating flick thanks to a great cast, fast cars and fun side stories that will keep you distracted from the gaping plot holes that will plague you come the credit roll - but who among you can deny yourself a good time? Certainly not me.