Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
After escaping from prison, Joe and Terry go on a crime spree, robbing banks through Oregon and California in order to finance their scheme for a new life south of the border. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when they meet Kate, who runs into them with her car. She joins the bandits on their cross-country spree, and eventually she steals something, too: their hearts.
Bandits is a breezy, character-driven heist comedy elevated well above its modest premise by the charismatic interplay between Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Thornton in particular is a standout — his hypochondriac, neurotic Terry is a genuinely funny and oddly touching creation. The plot is familiar crime-caper territory with a love triangle twist that keeps things engaging but never transcends its genre. Cinematography is workmanlike — serviceable but unremarkable for a mid-budget studio comedy. The film has a light, distinctive tone that separates it from generic heist fare without being wholly original. The ending resolves things in a crowd-pleasing if somewhat predictable fashion.