WATCH NOW
ENTRAPMENT is mainly an excuse to team venerable action hero Sean Connery with lithe beauty Catherine Zeta-Jones (Zorro) in something that shows off their skills, charisma and photogenic surfaces. They play brainy, athletic thieves capable of pulling off capers possible only in the movies like heisting a priceless Chinese ceremonial mask from its burglar proof palace display case. They join forces, double cross each other and fall in love.
Such films are designed mostly for their miraculous physical derring do as the heroes outfox more wicked criminals as well as morally ambiguous police. In the mask robbery, Zeta Jones uses her talents as a dancer to elude laser beams protecting the treasure. In the spectacular finale, she and Connery cavort about skyscraper towers in Kuala Lumpur on the eve of Y2K to computer-hack some $8 billion from the world bank. (Jesse James was born too soon.)
The difference from classic Hollywood dishonor-among-thieves movies (Asphalt Jungle or Topkapi) is that today’s crooks get away with it (with no noticeable twinges of conscience). What would Tolstoy think? Heck, what would Raymond Chandler think? Also, the thefts today rely more on gadgets and electronics than suspense based on character and real human possibility.
On the upside, director Jon Amiel (Copycat), brought in early to save the project, conjures much noise and excitement with almost no pain. The action is primarily chase, escape and high-tech magic. Yet at 69, even the incomparable Connery seems embarrassed by this kind of stuff.
The aging Scot is still fun to watch, and Zeta-Jones is a match, though a generation and a half behind. Some eye-pleasing people, locales and special effects, but not high in credibility not generally recommended.
For more movies like ENTRAPMENT (1999) visit Hurawatch.
Also watch: