What’s It About
After narrowly escaping a whirlwind of a heist, mastermind Mason (John Travolta) has retired from the criminal world with his gang of thieves and the love of his life, Decker (Gina Gershon). Their happy days are short lived when Decker is kidnapped by the notorious Salazar, bent on extracting revenge on Mason. Mason has no choice but to execute a risky heist inside a luxurious South American casino, putting him and his crew on a collision course with rivaling criminal syndicates and the FBI. Fighting unimaginable odds to double cross Salazar and save his love, Mason will have to gamble his life in a high-tech casino labyrinth and make an impossible choice.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
John Travolta takes on the role of Mason, a veteran thief living a life of leisure with his team and girlfriend, Decker, on a tropical island. Everything changes when the nefarious Salazar kidnaps Decker, forcing Mason reluctantly back into action. The cost of Decker’s safe return? Pull off a heist at a casino that seems impossible to execute. Mason assembles his team of expert thieves: Shawn, his rash brother; Anton, his trippy colleague; Link, the tech; and Hector, the muscle. Along the way, they recruit Georgios, a former bank teller who reluctantly cooperated on a previous job. Georgios is now engaged to Link. The stakes escalate as Mason and his team slip into a luxury casino resort and steal a high-value, highly desirable item. With Salazar’s henchmen, complete with targets, they scheme while closing in along with FBI agents. While Mason is trying to retrieve the woman he loves, he struggles to keep his team alive at the same time. Gina Gershon takes the role of Decker, previously played by someone else, but adds a new character. The film does not deal with Decker; it simply moves on with the story. The heist follows the usual rhythm of heists: Mason uses his charm to get close to Zade, the casino owner. The team utilizes great technology to penetrate security, and well-timed distractions created movement throughout the resort. While none of these situations are new, the film stylizes the scenes with a jazzy score. Director Randall Emmett does not simply make a second film that mirrors the first. He also creates authentic tension, including a brutal cigar scene that shows just how dangerous their enemies are in the heist. The transitions and pace of the film move the film forward and keep any predictable moments from dragging. Travolta is still the highlight of the creative moment for the film. Even in this B-movie territory, his charisma elevates the material and makes the limited budget feel bigger. His portrayal of Mason is polished and precise—perhaps too much so. Travolta sometimes appears almost artificially perfect with his perfectly trimmed beard and slim physique. One wonders if a more rugged, disheveled look might have added interesting dimensions to his character. Instead of giving a sequel number to the film, it was a good idea to title it High Rollers. This way, it continues but gets a new identity. Judging by the ending, it seems like we could see another one, possibly ramping up the action further. Even with a “seen it all before” feel, we get wisecracks, shootouts, pretty visuals, and pretty people, which is what the audience wants. It’s solidly “background entertainment”—something you can watch while you finish dinner or get ready to go out. You don’t have to focus on it completely, but you will enjoy it if you do. While it won’t win awards or break box office records, “High Rollers” succeeds as simple entertainment, carried by Travolta’s enduring star power and the chemistry of its ensemble cast. For viewers seeking a slick heist movie with Ocean’s Eleven vibes on a smaller scale, this casino caper delivers enough thrills to make it worth the gamble.
OUR RATING – A B-WORTHY 6