Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Some violence, language in shallow heist caper.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Breaking and Re-entering
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BREAKING AND RE-ENTERING, Chang Bo-chun (Chen Bo Lin) leads a bank robbing crew who steal from the rich and give to the less fortunate. After a successful heist, Bo-chun stumbles into a blast from his past, and suddenly, his new mission is clear: Return the money but without anyone knowing.
Is It Any Good?
This film is lighthearted fare but relies on some juvenile humor for its comedy. It's clear that Breaking and Re-entering finds gay relationships between men funny or a source of humor. But the offensive humor is not the only problem. Beyond the film's cute idea of having the bank robbers have to put the money they stole back, there isn't much here viewers haven't seen before. Many heist movies do what this film tries to do much better. The biggest issue is that these characters never feel like they are master thieves managing to accomplish the impossible. They feel much more amateurish, only succeeding by unrealistic writing rather than by ingenuity and brilliance.
Most viewers will find this mindless, lighthearted romp derivative, sloppy, and too unrealistic to finish. But other viewers might get a decent enough kick out of this adventure, if they don't mind these issues, the sloppy pacing, slapstick humor, and the homophobia (nothing worse than The Hangover movies). At least the performances are solid, with each supporting character providing some much-needed variety. Of course, none of these characters are all too deep, interesting, or complex. But they at least breathe fresh air into this well-worn bank heist landscape. Special mention to Wu Kang-ren, whose Chen Hai-jui steals each scene he's in.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in action comedy films. Did any of the violence in Breaking and Re-entering surprise you? Do you think the violence helped make the film more entertaining? Why, or why not?
Which crew member do you think adds the most fun and humor to the story? Why?
Were you satisfied with the ending? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 1, 2024
- Cast : Bo-lin Chen , Cecilia Choi , Frederick Ming Zhong Lee , Kent Tsai
- Director : Ding-Lin Wang
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 109 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : August 20, 2024
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