Oh man, this is weird to write. Takers (yes, that Takers) is a pretty good movie. There are a few things that could trick me into this though. First and foremost, this summer, as you all know, has been appalling in terms of releases. However, this film wasn’t a third or fourth of a series; it wasn’t based on a book or an old TV show; it’s not a video game.

That said, Takers is hardly original. Like any bank robbery film, it involves a group of guys who put together a heist. An old partner has to convince them that it’s a good idea to do so in a short amount of time. On the other side we have a cop and his partner, both in hot water, pursuing them. Who’s good, who’s bad? That’s the whole idea.

The biggest thing I was worried about was the acting. Hayden Christensen and Paul Walker going head to head was not something I was excited for. Throw in T.I. and Chris Brown for good measure and I’m already halfway out the door. But director John Lussenhop seemed to know what he was doing. With the exception of T.I., none of these actors were given much screen time. Thank God. Instead the bulk of it was distributed to Idris Elba (who I love), Michael Ealy, Jay Hernandez, and Matt Dillon. Dillon was the only one who disappointed, but I think a lot of it had to do with the weakness of the police storyline. While many of the characters were not particularly fleshed out, Dillon was given almost nothing to work with which unfortunately showed. (I would have also liked to see Zoë Saldana in a bigger role.)

Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of things that don’t work with Takers. There was almost no blood for the abundance of people shot, many of the characters had an outside storyline that seemed to elongate the movie instead of add to their ambiance, and again some of the acting. But overall, it was a decent heist movie.

Let me reiterate: this film is not a great piece of art, but I don’t think anyone was expecting that. Maybe I’ve gotten so used to walking out of a movie disappointed this summer. Maybe my expectations were so low that even if Takers had been a little better than I thought, it would seem good. Maybe I thought it would have been as Photoshopped as its poster. All I know is that I very much enjoyed this movie. I’d say it’s somewhere between a SEE IT and a RENT IT, a RENT IT and a half if you will. But there’s no doubt in my mind it was a fun movie like most capers.

(Side note: While his acting was sub par, Chris Brown’s chase seen was incredible. That kid can move.)