An all-star cast features in this new film about the Hatton Garden robbery. Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews…
The Guardian: ** “what a mess this is: not funny enough to be a comedy, not exciting enough to be a thriller, not interesting or convincing enough to have any documentary value.”
The Independent: *** “Marsh, though, should be congratulated for doing his ancient protagonists the favour of taking them at least semi-seriously and for showing that OAPs can be scumbags too.”
Empire: *** “The film as a whole is uneven, but at its strongest moments you forget their age and just feel the danger.”
The Telegraph: *** “Though it purports to tell the story of the 2015 jewellery heist that grabbed all the headlines, James Marsh’s wily biopic is just as much an essay on the screen careers of these men.”
The Daily Mail: *** “The result is a curious mish-mash of a film, unevenly scripted and nowhere near as sure-footed as Marsh’s acclaimed 2014 feature, The Theory Of Everything.”
Evening Standard: ** “Broadbent is refreshingly cast against sweet-natured type as Terry Jenkins, the psycho of the group with the crazy-eyed stare. But it’s Winstone, cast less against type, who nicks some of the show from Caine with a nicely understated turn as stock hard man Danny Jones.”
Irish Times: *** “More damaging still is the tonal shift from Only Fools and Horses to The Long Good Friday. Caine, in particular, seems saddled with two discrete roles in the same baggy character.”
Culture Whisper: ** “King of Thieves is an unnoteworthy chapter in the careers of Penhall, Marsh, and Caine – all of whom can do better. The result is a film that’s not emotional enough to be a drama, and not funny enough to be a comedy. It’s a heist gone wrong.”
London Calling: “It is a proper London story, a classic underdog story told with humour and empathy, a twinkle in the eye – but also not shying away from the ugliness of the backstabbing criminals. They are not just cheeky chappies. But nobody got hurt and with a jazzy soundtrack, speedy storytelling and a frankly inspired use of the Sugar Plum Fairy dance for a break-in montage, this is a crime story you are allowed to like.”
King of Thieves is out in cinemas now.