Styx
Nelson puts his criminal ways behind him, having spent years as a first-rate safecracker. This resolution lasts until his brother finds himself owing money to organised crime and Nelson needs to do one last big job, with a few other professionals.
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- Cast:
- Peter Weller , Bryan Brown , Angus Macfadyen , Adrienne Pearce , Terry Norton , Chantell Stander
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Reviews
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
I'm watching this movie right now and...wait, hold on...Okay, so I'm not watching the movie anymore. What does that tell you?Somebody should have told the camera guy to STOP MOVING SO MUCH! My sister made better movies when she was eight and decided to tape herself dancing. Good actors acting badly, loose plot, annoying camera work, and sub-par directing. A real hoot.
Weller is at the center of "Styx" playing a safe cracker who is coerced from retirement to help his brother (MacFayden) pay off gambling debts. A typical Weller B-movie, "Styx" is full of unrealized potential. The beginning, end, and story backbone are strong but the middle tries too hard for the serious drama when it should have just stuck with the proven B-flick action/sex/nudity titilators. The result is a marginal small screen watch at best. (D)
GUN-SLINGING TEAM ROBBERIES BUT NOTHING NEW. JUST AVERAGE. STYX is a `B' movie. There is nothing wrong with `B' movies. They are meant to entertain. Some are made just for TV or cable. Now, some are made for Direct-to-DVD. Many of our favorite actors make a lot of `B' movies in addition to top films: Peter Weller, Dennis Hopper, and Faye Dunaway are examples. I think the reasonableness of evaluating them too carefully is made by Leonard Maltin who confines himself to BELOW-AVERAGE AVERAGE or ABOVE-AVERAGE.STYX for me rates an AVERAGE. The characters and their skills are established by a bank heist in the opening moments. Well-planned, but poorly executed because one of the robbers has poor character. (I can't give too much detail.)The main portion of the film spans preparation for a second robbery. The gang is larger because more talents are required. More motives for the robbery, too, some of which are elaborated in great detail. The issue of personal character arises again. There is the mandatory assembly of specialists, acquisition of equipment. Missing is a dry run or practice exercise, often part of these stories.Then the big heist. Its degree of success depends on every team member meeting or exceeding their assignment. But don't these groups always have a `spoiler' who fouls things up? Or is it the type of story where the spoiler surprises everyone and outdoes himself?There is nothing new here. Most of what we see isn't scripted, acted, or filmed particularly well. But it's a pleasure to see Bryan Brown (F/X 1986) and Peter Weller (ROBOCOP 1987) in the same film, on the same side. The tensions between them are a notch above the balance of the production.
Weller and Brown make this watchable but that is about all. Loose story of a bank robbery gone awry with Brown left to burn alive in crashed escape vehicle. A few years later Weller is lured into another bank robbery and lo and behold his former partner Brown had escaped the fire and is the brains behind the new scheme. A few little plot twists but the needless car chases and shoots coupled with terrible digital camera work make for a waste.