Tower Heist gallery
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that although this Ben Stiller/Eddie Murphy comedy appears to have been inspired by Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, it's not heavy-handed and is likely to appeal to teens who are fans of either of the stars or director Brett Ratner's action movies. Expect plenty of high-octane scenes -- car chases, a Ferrari dangling from 50 stories high, etc. -- as well as a fair amount of swearing (particularly "s--t"), product placement, and sexual innuendoes/references to sex. The characters' scheme is a crime, but they're presented as Robin Hood-esque in their motivations.
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What's the story?
Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is the most important of all the important residents of the Tower, a posh Manhattan residential high-rise run by building manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller). They don't have very much in common, except perhaps a love of online chess. But Shaw, in what first appeared to be a magnanimous act, agreed to manage the staff's pensions; it seemed like a good thing, since he's a stock-market whisperer of sorts who's able to eke out dividends when no one else can. But when Shaw is accused of fraud, Kovacs realizes that he and everyone else might have been duped, their money gone forever. How can they get it back? Can justice be served? And will Kovacs' burgeoning interest in FBI agent Claire Denham (Tea Leoni), who's guarding Shaw, complicate matters?
Is it any good?
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If you're seeking escape, you'll get it from TOWER HEIST. Not an escape from the news, exactly, since the movie's main storyline -- an obscenely wealthy money manager is arrested for defrauding his clients, who include the staff at his tony NYC residential building -- seems ripped from the Bernie Madoff headlines. Nor from the usual cliches of action movies. But the film is certainly entertaining enough to be an escape from daily life. Co-stars Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, and the rest of the gang have perfect chemistry -- essential in a movie that's positing them as a band of brothers of sorts.
Nevertheless, you have to ask: Why does Broderick only get shlubby roles these days? And does anyone care about the plot, which isn't exactly bulletproof? (There are plenty of inconsistencies, and a romance between two main characters is predictable and doesn't really add anything to the proceedings.) Be that as it may, the film is still a delight. Watching the crime itself unfold in what may be one of the most hectic days in the city -- in the middle of the Thanksgiving Day parade -- gives it added oomph. Tower Heist has chutzpah, and the action builds satisfyingly, and that's more than can be said about so many other, momentum-less movies.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about the characters' motivations. Are they justified in wanting to get revenge? Is it ever justifiable to commit a crime to right a wrong?
Does the movie seem skewed toward the perpetrators? Why? And should it be? Would you have as much sympathy for the characters if they were real-life people?
How does the movie address class and race? Does it undermine stereotypes or reinforce them? Are the characters a realistic depiction of life in New York?
Do you think people who commit Ponzi schemes start off expecting to defraud people, or do you think they accidentally end up in that situation when they take a big risk that fails? How should the legal system punish criminals who steal people's life savings?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | November 4, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | February 21, 2012 |
| Cast: | Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Eddie Murphy |
| Director: | Brett Ratner |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 104 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | language and sexual content |
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G-R-E-A-T
took my twins and 3 sons and daughter to see this (typical homeschool family am i right) and they loveddddd it! All are under 10 and loved it!
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Think twice before bringing the kids...
The language was horrible. I was shrinking in my seat with my 10 year old next to me. My ten year old is very mature but there were so many inappropriate scenes I was happy when he needed to use the restroom in the middle of the movie. There is also many sexual references including the mention of lesbians at least 6 times in a row during the characters dialogue. I really would have enjoyed this movie much more if I would have come without the kids. My 10 year old even asked why they had to swear so much.. it did not add to the movie at all.
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Too much sex
Too much swearing
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Breezy little heist film is fine for teens, but a bit too crude for tween's
Tower Heist is a fun start to the winter movie season, which of course as we all no perfectly well, starts with the first Friday of November and ends with the last Friday of December, so it has begun. Although, I honestly keep thinking that if it wasn't for the fact that director Brett Ratner casted Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy in the movie, I don't think very many people would have wanted to see it, because of just a plain old serious heist movie, it is also a screwball comedy as well, which makes things work decently. But, as breezy as it is, it is still Rated PG-13 for a reason, which is most because of: frequent profanity including sh-t, g-dd-mn, h-ll, banging, n-gg-er, pr-ck, b-tch and d-ck. Also, probably the most important part of why it was Rated PG-13: There is some occasional crude sexual humor and jokes which actually do get a little graphic, and also one scene that depicts the cover of a playboy magazine with breasts and nipples clearly visible, which, again, is fairly graphic. Well, that's all, but if you are a big fan of Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, the rest of the talented cast, or just plain heist movies in general, you should probably have a good time at it.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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