The Crew (PG-13, 2002)

In THE CREW, four aging mobsters reunite in order to save their Miami apartment complex from being torn down. Joey (Burt Reynolds), Bobby (Richard Dreyfuss), Mike (Dan Hedaya), and Tony (Seymour Cassel) have long retired from a life of underworld crime. But when their rent goes up thanks to the greedy new owners of their apartment building, the guys need to make some serious cash or they'll wind up homeless. They accept a job to kill a mob boss' father, but the plan goes awry when Tony's stripper girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly) decides she wants the four old mobsters to kill her mother.

If a cross between Grumpy Old Men and Goodfellas sounds like your cup of prune juice, then cinch up your girdle and head for the video store, but don't expect more than a few cursory laughs--expect a forgettable made-for-TV-like production. The big disappointment here isn't Richard Dreyfuss, or even the dull-witted script. The real disappointment here is gracefully aging Burt Reynolds, who surprised moviegoers in the '90s with some of the most interesting and challenging roles of his career. This movie is a waste of his talents. And, Carrie-Anne Moss' character, like Jennifer Tilly's, fails at even the most rudimentary pleas for sympathy or understanding.

But is there a worthwhile statement buried here about wisdom and maturity outshining impetuous youth? Nah. As one young viewer put it, "I guess it really is horrible to get old." At its most thought-provoking, the story is about how mayhem, thievery, and a little debauchery rejuvenate a few old men. Take Dreyfuss's overused catchphrase to heart and "Fuhgeddaboudit."

Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Michael Dinner
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Carrie-Anne Moss, Richard Dreyfuss
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 87 minutes
Theatrical release: July 1, 2002
DVD release: July 1, 2002
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: sexual content, language, and violence