Crime 101 review: An attractive, slow-moving drama
‘Crime 101’ begins and ends with a diamond heist, interweaving unrelated characters from different walks of life.
‘Crime 101’ begins and ends with a diamond heist, interweaving unrelated characters from different walks of life.
Action movies and thrillers driven by revenge have been commonplace since the ‘70s. When someone with access to a gun or other weapons is wronged, it seems to be a recipe for enacting cold, hard, brutal vengeance against everyone responsible. But “every action has a consequence” and unflinching, ruthless violence is bound to eventually draw blood from a forbidden pool. Running only gets you so far and then confrontation, surrender or – if you’re lucky – negotiation become the only options. In John Wick 3: Parabellum, the title character opts for all-out war against anyone who tries to stand in his way.
Everyone is familiar with the usual protectors, such as first responders, military and government agencies, but the fictional, secret defenders can be so much more interesting. Cloak-and-dagger codenames, classified missions, undisclosed locations, unparalleled skill, and technology most people never even dreamed could exist are just some of the elements that make this genre so attractive. For decades the Brits have had James Bond, but more recently audiences were introduced to the Kingsman. And now picking up after the terrible tragedy that concluded the first film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle takes on a new threat that will tear them apart.