Flypaper

Some people have good days where everything seems to fall into place, and then there are days when everything seems to go wrong. Today is the latter for 2 different groups that go to rob the same bank on the same day. This high-tech bank is about to have it’s systems reset that will cut off the alarms giving the robbers a chance to get what they want without any interference from the police. From the start of the robbery everything goes wrong for both sets of robbers and the hostages. While 2 of the bumbling robbers Peanut Butter (played by Tim Blake Nelson) and Jelly (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince) flub blowing up the ATM’s, the other group slowly work their way into the safe with the help of some high-tech gear. Though Tripp (played by Patrick Dempsey) has a condition where he can’t stop from thinking has now become obessed with finding out who is the real mastermind behind the bank robbery and with the help of the beautiful bank teller Kaitlin (played by Ashley Judd) the mystery of this bank robbery will be found out.

STICK EM UP:
Flypaper is a very witty comedy/drama that should have had a lot more promotion and talk but for some reason it has slipped under the radar. It’s plot is smart, having 2 different groups robbing the same bank at the same time while having the hostages playing a very unusual role during the robbery. Everything about the robbery is unusual actually, the 2 groups are so different from each other, one being the smart robbers who have a set plan while using computers and other high-tech gear but the other group consist of 2 very dumb, unthinking, idiots that use explosives to open the ATM’s while waving their guns around. Even the hostages, who in typical movies are usually tied up and freaking out but in Flypaper these hostages end up being part of the robbery itself.

As witty as the plot is, it’s not that complicated where I wasn’t able to figure out who was the real mastermind behind it all. Even still, the movie is a lot of fun to watch, there is a good amount of comedy in it that had me laughing more than I expected after reading the back cover of the Blu Ray. What I first thought was going to be more of a drama with some jokes thrown in, it turned out to be a comedy with some drama thrown in and sprinkled with some action. Pushing this movie is the performance given by Patrick Dempsey as this odd guy who likes to count, has photographic memory, and has taken it upon himself to work out the mystery of this bank robbery. Having this character in the movie added that whit to the movie that made the story flow from one scene to the next while the character also is the one that brings the mystery into the plot. Without the character of Tripp all Flypaper would have been is a movie about 2 different bank robbing gangs getting in each others way as they tried to rob the bank. With the character it became a movie that made me wonder what was going to happen next and is Tripp really who he says he is?

Though as much fun as this movie was to watch I did have a few problems with it. One mainly being what kind of building was this bank put in? Through out the robbery there are gun shots, many gunshots, and explosions, yet at no time is anything heard from the streets. The bank is in a downtown city, it was first robbed at closing time, meaning it’s 5pm when it starts, which also means lots of people out in the streets, so when those first gunshots go off it would have been heard. Then there are the explosions, big ones, that shake the building, and again, no one hears this? Then again, having this sort of thing kind of adds to the comedy of the movie.

THE ROBBERY ON BLU RAY:
Flypaper looks pretty good on this Blu Ray, nothing too spectacular but better than most DVD’s. Though the most impressive aspect of the Blu Ray is the audio quality. It’s the character Tripp who makes the movie but he’s also the character that is constantly talking, even while there are explosions and other loud sounds. Being able to hear the dialog along with the other sounds being used without having to fuss with the volume levels was nice. Sadly though, the Blu Ray has no real bonus features other than the trailer and interviews, which was interesting, but not enough.