By “Cinema” Dave
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com
With very little surprise, the summer blockbuster season has been dominated by comic book adaptations: Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming. With less fan fare, there have been a few low-budgeted motion pictures that became sleeper hits that will likely rack up high DVD and online streaming numbers: Annabelle: Creation, Baby Driver and the newly released Logan Lucky.
Described as a “red neck heist movie,” Logan Lucky has much in common with urban heist movies like the Ocean’s 11 trilogy. One common denominator of these four movies is that they were directed by Steven Soderbergh. Reuniting with his Magic Mike costar Channing Tatum, Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky has created a hybrid motion picture that is part Smokey and the Bandit, Mr. Majestic and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Logan Lucky opens with a touching scene. Jimmy Logan (Tatum) is working on the engine of his Ford pick-up truck with his young daughter, Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie). While he takes pride that his daughter knows the difference between a Phillips and a slot head screwdriver, Jimmy’s ex-wife Bobbie Jo (Katie Holmes) prefers Sadie to watch her diet since the little girl has a series of beauty pageants on the horizon.
After being laid off from a temporary construction job with the Charlotte Motor Speedway, he seeks solace with his bartender brother Clyde (Adam Driver), a veteran who lost his left hand in the sands of Iraq. When the loudmouthed Max Chilblain (Seth MacFarlane) angers the Logan brothers, Jimmy hatches a plan to steal money from his former employer.
Like any good heist movie (The Ladykillers, Who’s Minding the Mint?), assembling the team is half the fun. Sister Mellie (Riley Keough — Elvis Presley’s granddaughter) is a hair dresser with exceptional driving skills and knowledge of rush hour traffic patterns.
Seeking a mastermind who understands explosives, the Logan brothers enlist the aid of Joe Bang (Daniel Craig, who looks uncannily like Robert Shaw from an early James Bond movie, From Russia with Love). Despite a series of mental and physical challenges, the heist is launched during the Charlotte Motor Speedway Coca-Cola 600.
There is suspense to Logan Lucky, but the tone is filled with mischief and fun. A premeditated prison riot acknowledges racial stereotypes, but behind the scenes the prisoners are comrades in arms. The soundtrack features some fine rockabilly guitar playing with a touch of Bo Diddley and John Fogarty.
While not a box office success, Logan Lucky was a well-deserved critical success. For a Saturday matinee price only, this film will be a treat for Labor Day weekend.