The action/thriller film Takers is, plain and simple, the kind of movie you should go and watch if you have nothing better to do and are looking for an OK combination of cheap laughs and overly dramatic sequences.
Making up the roster of thieves are Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Michael Ealy, rapper T.I. and R&B artist Chris Brown. Essentially a ‘taker’ is, as described very directly in the movie, someone who takes things for a living.
The plot is simple: After the takers take a lot of money from a bank, they say they’re done. Then T.I., who used to be a taker gets out of prison and tries to convince his old taker pals that they should take some more. Despite their rule of only taking once a year, they’re quickly swayed to believe their vindictive friend has got their backs still.
I think that the entire movie can be simplified to one moment, when it’s mentioned that the crew is going to take down an armored truck like in The Italian Job. The only problem is that The Italian Job actually does an adequate job of fulfilling what action fans want, where as Takers seems to fall a little flat.
The way the movie is constructed disengages audiences from the story; instead of sticking to the main heist that is planned and carried out, there are so many different stories occurring that it’s really hard to follow—and it doesn’t come together well in the end, the end just sort of happens.
There multiple subplots are so unnecessary, and subsequently they’re hard to take seriously. They range from the marital problems of the poorly characterized protagonist cop, Matt Dillon, as well as his partner’s struggles with his son’s serious illness all the way to the rehab that one of the takers’ sisters is going through. There is just so much going on that you begin to ask yourself, “whaaaaat?”
Now, it’s not that Takers doesn’t attempt to portray a quality, action-filled crime story; the problem is that it tries a little too hard. Sitting in the theatre, the parts of the movie that were obviously intended to be dramatic were received with huge bouts of laughter from the audience.
Despite it having all of the components of a great action movie—Guns, private rooftop and balcony talks, chases, planes, money, and quirky Russians who love vodka—Takers falls a little short and definitely won’t be the best movie you see this summer.
Canadian born actor Hayden Christensen is currently suing the USA Network claiming they stole his idea for a TV show.
Christensen, who of course was in “Star Wars,” claims in 2005 he approached USA, along with his older brother, for a comedic drama about a “concierge” doctor who makes house calls to the rich and famous, reports Fox News.
The brothers claim that the network’s “Royal Pains” is a copy of their concept.
Hayden Christensen and Paul Walker will play cops and robbers, literally, in the crime thriller “Bone Deep.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two actors are the latest cast additions to the Screen Gems movie, which follows a group of criminals who plot a $20 million bank heist with a hardened Manhattan detective hot on their heels.
As previously reported, Matt Dillon will play the detective, while actor-musicians Chris Brown, T.I. and Idris Elba have also been cast in the film.
Christensen is slated to play a rookie detective, while Walker will play the leader of the bank robbers.
Director John Luessenhop, whose previous credits include the 2000 drama “Lockdown,” will work from a script he co-wrote.
Christensen (“Shattered Glass,” the “Star Wars” films) next appears in the war drama “Beast of Bataan,” as well as in the ensemble shorts movie “New York, I Love You.”
Meanwhile, Walker (“Flags of Our Fathers,” “Running Scared”) stars in the upcoming fourth “Fast and the Furious” movie, simply titled “Fast and Furious.”
While Hayden Christensen is celebrating his box office success this weekend, Eminem may be just a tad jealous.
The lead role in the hit “Jumper” almost went to the rap superstar, writer/director Doug Liman revealed to MTV News. 20th Century Fox studio execs pulled for Eminem as he was more well-known.
“‘If I’ve proven anything to myself, it’s that I can tailor a role to an actor,” Liman explained. “[I could] develop the role with [someone like Eminem] and make it extremely specific to them. So as long as the person has acting chops, I’m open to talking to almost anybody for almost any role.”
But it was Canadian cutie Christensen that Liman demanded to work with. “At some point, I just put my foot down and said, ‘I love Hayden.’”
With the film pulling in $27.2 million in North America this past weekend, it appears that Liman’s faith in Christensen’s star power was right.
For fans who can’t get enough Hayden, he graces the cover of Details magazine this month.
Canadian heartthrob Hayden Christensen still has a few Jedi skills. In fact, he’s a 10 out of 10, says his “Jumper” co-star Rachel Bilson.
“I’m sure all the ladies will be happy to know Hayden is a 10 when it comes to kissing,” she told Bang Showbiz.
In return, Christensen commented that, “Rachel is top notch too, we kiss well.”
Bilson and Christensen, both 26, have been spending quite a lot of time together since meeting on the “Jumper” set, but have never confirmed a relationship.
Though Bilson said she still finds sex scenes uncomfortable to film, she was glad to have Christensen as her partner. “I was lucky enough to have someone as handsome as Hayden, but it’s always a bit awkward,” she said.
“Jumper” opens Thursday.
Hayden Christensen will reportedly star in the highly anticipated big-screen adaptation of “Neuromancer,” William Gibon’s classic 1984 sci-fi novel.
According to film website JoBlo.com, the Canadian actor has been tapped to play Case, a former computer hacker hustling the streets of Japan in a dystopian future, until he is hired to pull of a potentially earth-shaking crime.
“Torque” director Joseph Kahn, best-known for his work in music videos, will direct the movie.
The film is said to be an independent production that will carry an impressive $70 million budget.
It is unclear when it will begin shooting.
“Neuromancer” is considered a pioneer of the cyberpunk genre and has won the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It also made Time magazine’s list of 100 best English-language novels written since 1923.
Moviegoers can next catch Christensen in “Jumper,” a sci-fi/action flick scheduled to hit theatres in February.
Though it’s still more than a year away from being released, a new Hollywood movie has already achieved a feat no other major film ever has — getting access to Rome’s famous Coliseum.
The movie, “Jumper,” was given three days to shoot in the historic building. Filmmakers were even given access to the Coliseum’s underground chambers, which even tourists rarely get to see.
Reuters reports that the unprecedented shooting took place in early December, though it was not announced until this past weekend.
The filmmakers did face some restrictions, though; they were not permitted to use any artificial lighting, and could only shoot around dawn and dusk.
Shooting for “Jumper” is scheduled through January 2007, with a 2008 release date planned. The movie stars Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson and Samuel L. Jackson.
Hayden Christensen was performing in the Bullrun last weekend and was on his way to the first pit stop of the cross country trek in Toronto, when his car broke down in Syracuse, NY.
Canada.com reports that after the Canadian actor’s 1999 Ferrari broke down, he called a local tow truck driver and asked him to tow him up to Canada.
The tow truck driver said he didn’t recognize the actor at first, and told him it would cost him nearly $1,000 to get to Toronto.
Burdick says it wasn’t until the pair hit the border that he began to realize who Christensen was – especially when people started asking for his autograph.
Christensen then admitted who he was and signed autographs for the driver and he spoke to his kids on the phone.
Christensen got into Toronto at 1 a.m. and by noon on Sunday, the actor and his car were ready to continue on their trek.
