The Film
Bank heist films are a mixed bag of good, bad and ugly. 30 Minutes or Less falls somewhere among the latter two. Two scoundrels, Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson), need money to pay a hit man to kill Dwayne's ex-marine father and inherit his money. The scheme they hatch is to kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest and give him 10 hours to rob a bank.
That may sound farfetched, but the unfortunate truth is something similar happened (the pizza delivery guy part) back in 2003, though the pizza delivery guy is alleged to have been more willing than Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) in the movie.
30 Minutes or Less unites Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer and Eisenberg among a cast of comedians each doing their shtick. In this case, the humor often falls flat and the banter doesn't help the outrageous plotline.
Beth McCabe has more on bringing a gun to a bomb fight in the theatrical review of 30 Minutes or Less.
The Picture
While the movie is far-fetched, the setting is very much real life. In this 2.40:1 transfer the backdrop of Grand Rapids, Michigan is sometimes little washed out, but generally realistic. Skin tones appear accurate. Certain special effects such as explosions and flames are over the top, but in this film nobody should be surprised.
The filmmakers do a good job of capturing Michigan life, and playing up the rust belt setting. Details such as Nick's rusting Mustang help set up the situation with this lost twenty-something-turned pizza boy.
The Sound
Although the major action and bombastic effects are held off to the end, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 channel lossless audio soundtrack does a good job with the sound throughout the entire film. While the explosions occur in the last few minutes of the film, there are several car chase sequences that place sound across the 5.1 field accurately to pull off the scenes.
The Extras
Two features, deleted scenes, outtakes and commentary with the director and the main actors add a lot to the Blu-ray. Fans of the actors and stand-up comedians Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari and Michael Pena should find some enjoyment in both the film and in these extras.
"Blowing Up with the Cast & Crew" offers face time with the principal actors, plus supporting actors Bianca Kajlich, Brett Gelman and others. "The Perfect Crime: Action and Comedy in 30 Minutes or Less" offers even more background and behind-the-scenes fun.
Final Thoughts
The redemption in 30 Minutes or Less is that Director Ruben Fleischer lets the actors (and comedians) do their thing on the screen without stifling their creativity. Many of the scenes with Danny McBride and Nick Swardson were unscripted, and perhaps better because of it. Fans of McBride (HBO's Eastbound & Down) and Swardson (Reno 911) will appreciate the dialog, along with scenes involving other actors. This is not your typical bank robbery flick. It's heavy-handed on the comedic angle, and that limits the film somewhat.
Product Details
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