Entrapment *** (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ving Rhames and Will Patton
Director-Jon Amiel Rated PG Released April 1999 20th Century Fox
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Anyone who says Sean Connery is getting too old for action movies hasn't seen his latest movie. Connery will always be remembered as the definitive James Bond, and in Entrapment, part of the fun is watching him replay certain shades that made his portrayal of the famous spy so popular. His age is starting to show, but you have to hand it to Mr. Connery, because he sure is a good sport.
In Entrapment he plays Mac, a master thief with high-tech gadgets for scaling buildings and stealing antique Rembrandts for his personal collection. He catches the eye of an insurance agent (!!) named Gin Baker, Catherine Zeta-Jones. With the news that a priceless chinese mask is being displayed in a London museum, Zeta-Jones knows that Mac won't be able to resist the chance to snatch it. So she tracks him down and poses as a thief, proposing that the two become partners in crime and attempt the daring heist. Of course, her boss (Will Patton) wants her to bring Mac in afterward. But carefully predicting the pattern of their meetings, you can surely guess that their relationship will escalate to something more than business.
Zeta-Jones is 29, and Connery is now 68. With this enormous age differential, can the stars still create believable chemistry? The answer is a surprising yes. Director Jon Amiel plays their relationship on a different level than just a love story, in fact, he stages their confrontations like they were father and daughter. If this is simply a massive error, then it was a turn for the better, because this way the stars are given more breathing room and their chemistry is still believable. In one scene toward the end, when the two burglars separate, you realize that you actually care about their situation. Even if he could play her grandpa.
One disappointement is the use of the supporting cast. Ving Rhames is once again electric and involving, as one of Mac's former partners, but he is criminally underused with his undemanding role. Maury Chaykin hams it up as a Budha-like art dealer. Will Patton has little to do playing Zeta-Jones' boss. Amiel also uses a fade-out approach to end many of his scenes, which gets very repetitive very quickly.
But, Entrapment is still an exciting heist adventure that glides along smoothly after a bumpy first hour. The final robbery that the duo pull, an 8-billion bank caper on the eve of the millenium, is simply terrific. I never even glanced at my watch through the two-hour running time. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a flawed but luminous performance, and Connery is just a lot of fun to watch. Reports indicate he may return once more as James Bond. No matter how old he is then, I'll probably still buy it. ........................
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