Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bloody, profane crime/action movie lacks a certain snap.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Retirement Plan
What's the Story?
In THE RETIREMENT PLAN, Jimmy (Jordon Johnson-Hinds) steals a hard drive containing mysterious but sensitive information. But the robbery goes badly, so he urges his wife, Ashley (Ashley Greene Khoury), to get herself and their 11-year-old daughter, Sarah (Thalia Campbell), out of town. Ashley puts Sarah -- with the hard drive -- on a plane to the Cayman Islands, where her estranged father, Matt (Nicolas Cage), lives. Meanwhile, crime lord Donny (Jackie Earle Haley) captures Jimmy and forces Ashley to go with two of his men to her father's place to retrieve the drive. Unbeknownst to anyone, Matt is actually ex-special forces and isn't an easy man to subdue. After a fight, Donny's right-hand man, Bobo (Ron Perlman), winds up with Sarah as a hostage. Matt vows not to let his newly reformed family come to any harm.
Is It Any Good?
This Elmore Leonard-like action/crime caper is likable enough, thanks to its terrific cast and colorful characters, but after a while it starts to seem a little listless, lacking a certain snap. The Retirement Plan starts off with a bang, using flash, freeze-frame title cards to introduce its many characters, and it feels like things are going to get exciting. Cage's Matt is promised as an unstoppable warrior, and Perlman's Bobo is an uncommonly gentle criminal henchman.
But the movie never really challenges them. There's hardly even any friction between the estranged father and daughter characters, either, and when Bobo is forced to make a hard choice, he barely needs a minute to decide. The hard drive all the characters are after is the dictionary definition of a "MacGuffin" -- i.e., "an object or device in a movie or a book that serves merely as a trigger for the plot" -- and it has no real stakes. And the movie has a strange rhythm, often cutting away from scenes when it feels like they ought to keep going. This group of performers -- as well as the warm, lazy Cayman Islands atmosphere -- would be welcome in any movie, and perhaps The Retirement Plan will make a decent enough late-night TV watch, but it could have used more zing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Retirement Plan's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What does the movie have to say about "good guys" and "bad guys"? Do you agree with its take?
Did you notice positive representations in the film? What about stereotypes?
What is a "MacGuffin"? Does the hard drive qualify as one? How does the use of a MacGuffin in a movie compare to a more clearly defined goal?
Do you consider Cage's character a role model? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 15, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : October 17, 2023
- Cast : Nicolas Cage , Ashley Greene Khoury , Ron Perlman
- Director : Tim Brown
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Falling Forward Films
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 103 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence and pervasive language
- Last updated : November 9, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate