User reviews

What no comments, no rating, no release date?!! This is what I first thought when looking at the IMDb page for this movie, "how can it be possible, a movie released here in Taiwan but not in America?!"

First off I had trouble finding this movie on IMDb since the English title given in Taiwan is The Code", where as according to IMDb its "Thick as Thieves"

I didn't know what to expect when entering this movie as I hadn't read a million posts on IMDb saying how its amazing and the others saying it should be the 2nd thing on your list to do after suicide.

It's pretty much your average bank heist movie, the story is based around a job which is utterly impossible unless you have amazing tools and gadgets which probably take longer to create than the whole security system of the bank they're planning to hit. The story moves along nicely, it has a few short moments where it seems to drift away from the main plot but it doesn't distract you from the main track. The acting by Freeman is his usual really, the more experienced and wiser man who once again does a decent job. The young rookie crook role goes to Banderas who generally does a good job but in the early stages of the movie just doesn't look right. The young rookie is the same as most the young cocky rookie's you see in most movies, unfortunately a middle aged man making wise cracks just doesn't look right on screen.

Like you'd expect there's a surprise ending which isn't so easy to figure out, or when you think you've figured it out you still end up being wrong. It's what you'd expect from a heist movie and it certainly doesn't disappoint. The directing is nothing special, it just seems like standard Hollywood movie making with nothing really standing out as being special. The dialogue is nothing flash, its normal dialogue with very little standout lines. The performances are once again nothing stand out, all the actors do a decent job in this movie but nothing worthy of an Oscar.

Overall this isn't a super awesome big time blockbuster, its an OK piece of cinema which is sure to entertain you but its not going to have you shouting from the roof tops

I actually enjoyed watching this thriller. The problem is that you come across some scenes that makes you feel like an idiot. The plot misses that spark of ingenuity. For instance; you guess what is gonna happen in the next 10 minutes; and it happens!!! I think this is not only because of bad writing, but also because the script is full of clichés.

If you have some spare time to kill and don't mind an uninspired plot. Go ahead; it might amuse you. Don't be fooled by the actors and expect anything better.

By the way isn't it interesting that Morgan Freeman kinda accepts any script? He must be really lucky that really good ones find him too.

For Antonio Banderas; there is not much to do. But wait for a Wrestler like a come back or not...

In New York, the experienced thief of arts Keith Ripley (Morgan Freeman) invites the bold thief from Miami Gabriel Martin (Antonio Banderas) to team up with him in the heist of two valuable mysterious Faberge eggs of 1917 in the safe of the well protected Russian jewelry Romanov. The worth of each egg in the black market is twenty million dollars and Ripley needs his cut to quit his debt with the powerful mobster Nicky (Rade Serbedzija). The reluctant Gabriel accepts to participate after having one night stand with Ripley's goddaughter Alexandra Karolin (Radha Mitchell). Meanwhile, the persistent Lieutenant Weber (Robert Foster), who has unsuccessfully tried to put Ripley in jail for twenty years, figures how to anticipate the movements of the criminal and arrest him.

"Thick as Thieves" is an unoriginal movie full of clichés that gives the sensation of déjà vu to the viewer. There are many movies with impossible heists, and this one has nothing new in this regard. Further, there are many twists in the story and the conclusion is corny and commercial. The good points are the chemistry among Morgan Freeman, the sexy and gorgeous Radha Mitchell, and Antonio. Banderas. In the end, this forgettable flick entertains. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Jogo Entre Ladrões" {"Game Between Thieves")

Thick as Thieves is pretty much as lousy as heist films get. It's lazy, derivative, and really quite offensive in the way it leans back in your favourite chair, flicks cigarette ash on your carpet while smirking at you and telling you there's nothing you can do to stop it as you've already paid your money.

The twists are both of everyone's least-favourite flavour: one you can spot a mile off and the other one - while unexpected - you won't give a hoot about. The heist too is lazy, but by that point you won't be surprised even if you can remember all the talk of it being an impossible job. Your expectations will be so low you'll tell yourself it's par for the course. Both Morgan Freeman (usually reliable) and Antonio Banderas (usually intolerable) coast by with just the pilot light on, totally lacking chemistry, and only Radha Mitchell comes away with any kind of credibility, doing decent work and putting in far more effort than her underwritten character deserves.

Well, this is a movie to watch for fun, when your favorite stars are in. Nothing special or amazing. Just the usual stuff, even the greatest twists are predictable from the beginning.

This was a fun movie. It had some interesting characters. Most people watch movies to have fun and this movie was fun. Sometimes people expectations for a good movie is too high. Think of this movie as one of the best straight to video heist movies. True it is no Italian Job or Ocean's Eleven but not all movies have to be. The movie has interesting characters, good actors who do good acting in the movie and a good twist at the end. It is an all out fun movie to watch, plus it has some good humor. You shouldn't go into this movie with high expectations since it is a low budget, straight to video movie. This is one of the better straight to video movies. So you shouldn't judge this movie so harshly. It is nice to see Antonio Bandres in a movie again you just don't see him in movies now a days. So sit back and relax and I hope you enjoy the movie.

Let me start by saying that, what saved this movie from being a total disaster is not being a very long movie. Hence, the rating of three stars was given instead of one. I invested the first 30 minutes, without much happening. I was hoping on a "thick" plot but boy was I wrong. This movie tries to be another "Bank Job" but fails at surprising or making the viewer think about anything but Antonio's horrid performance.

Average acting on behalf of the crew. Morgan just wanted his money, you could tell that any moment now he was going to run off the stage. The only guy who was remotely good is Papa Patrelli from Heroes the TV series. Playing a frustrated, outsmarted investigator/cop. Now Antonio delivered a performance that made you feel like he reached into your pocket and stole your money. Not once during the entire movie have I forgot that I'm seeing Antonio miserably fail at attempting to take himself seriously.

The movie tried to seem wise or smooth or even funny, but delivered none of the above. The movie passes by without any real point or drive and ending equally pointless.

Well, this is a movie that has you anticipating. Literally, even after it ends you still have the feeling that some moments have been left behind. Scenery is somewhat patched - shots from Bulgaria's Supreme Court building, airport and streets, mixed with NYC. Actors' play is at top notch, but there may be some elusive disappointment that the plot didn't develop characters fully, didn't end the way we want to end and so on. Primarily, a story about thieves thieving, some complicated lying, some sex, some features, some plot of grand thefts, and that's it. I actually didn't like this movie. Not because it is bad, but only because it wasted the actors' potential for playing the full extent of their roles.

What a big letdown. First off, I wasn't really expecting much out of this, the trailer wasn't really something but it has Freeman and Banderas in it, both I am a big fan of. As it turned out, it was all a big, fat failure of a heist movie. I always welcome recycled plot lines just as long as the execution brings something new to the table but in Thick as Thieves, there wasn't. We've all seen it before and the twist at the end, although you never see it coming within the movie, the shock factor was poorly executed.

I love all of Freeman's works but this one is at the end of the line. The chemistry between Banderas and Mitchell was off, there was no spark none whatsoever. Skip it, rent it but don't buy it. It's a waste of money.

Hollywood is a vast reservoir of screen talent and when producers, directors and movie stars combine to make a movie, audiences across the United States, indeed across the cinematic world, anxiously await to pay for the right combination of a good movie. Often, their result is a mega production, a Classic, or at the very least a profitable enterprise. However as in this case, the movie is a abysmal disappointment. One asks, with the superior talents Morgan Freeman, the handsome features and sex appeal of Antonio Banderas how could you possibly lose? Annalysis of this movie called " Code " or " Thick as Thevies " proves the old add age of; 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.' Briefly this is an often repeated story. You take an aging professional thief, partner him with a young talented version of himself, then challenge them against the most sophisticated impervious thief-proof bank vault imaginable and you have the makings of a classic. Right? Unfortunately not. Although both men are superstars, the movie is not without flaws. The script is so convoluted it loses coherence, among the principals and audience. Again, the romantic character interaction and drama is handicapped by unresolved Stop and Go scenes. Then again, trying to touch base with who's on first, audiences are purposely tripped by not allowing some clue as to which segment of the film establishes the good guys from the bad. Too much sympathy is labored on the dark character only to discover he's the the hero. In conclusion, what should have been a high flying feature, became instead a single wing albatross. ***

"The Code" or "Thick as Thieves" as it is called is a 2009 film starring Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Radha Mitchell, and Robert Forrester.

The story concerns a slippery thief, Keith Ripley (Freeman), who teams up with a thief from Miami, Gabriel (Banderas) to steal antique Faberge eggs that are kept in a vault surrounded by huge security trappings at a jewelry store named Romanov's.

Ripley needs to do the theft as a debt payment for his late brother, who was mixed up with a Russian mobster. He wants the eggs, and he's determined to get them. They are being watched by Lieutenant Weber, who has been trying to get Ripley for years.

Freeman and Banderas didn't have much chemistry, and Freeman, of course, is capable of roles having much more depth. So both kind of glided along, Banderas using his charm, and Freeman his geniality.

Derivative story with a couple of twists. A decent rental.

The Code, or Thick As Thieves as it's known on DVD in some regions, is pretty much just Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas strutting their way through a B-grade, R-rated Ocean's Eleven. It's second tier stuff, but it has one hell of a cast and enough serpentine twists and betrayals to keep the viewer interested. Freeman plays a slick master burglar, recruiting Banderas' younger thief to pull off one of those 'impossible' heists that requires all kinds of over elaborate planning and stylish execution. This is all in order to pay an outstanding debt to the Russian mob in the form of dangerous Rade Serbedzija, aka Boris the Blade, aka Boris the Bullet Dodger, who has a few surprising secrets of his own. All of them are also hounded by a classically dogged detective (Robert Forster, intensely excellent) and his rookie partner, who of all people is played by Tom Hardy in a role so small and random I'd love to hear the tale behind his casting. There's also an obligatory love interest for Antonio, played by leggy Radha Mitchell. Now, it's all mostly as pedestrian as it sounds, except for a few garnishing touches that elevate it just enough that it sticks in your memory. The master thief. The Ahab-esque cop. The vicious Eastern European gangster. The love triangle. Backstabbing. These are all ancient archetypes that have been done quite literally to death, and they're all present and accounted for here, but there's a few moments that genuinely surprise and break feee of that somewhat. Revelations involving the Russian who isn't what he appears to be, a third act twist that feels welcome, and snares of dialogue that snap our attention amidst the clichés. For what it is, it does its job well enough, and a few times shows actual inspiration. Not bad at all.

I was planning to give this film a 7 until the final scene, when the bubblegum-disco credits music kicked in. Deduct 1 star for the bad taste left in my mouth.

"Thick as Thieves" (alternatively titled "The Code") is your standard high-tech heist film, with serious tips of the hat to "Mission Impossible" and "Ocean's 11." A number of nice plot twists along the way, some of which you'll probably see coming and some not. The obligatory 40 seconds of moderately graphic sex. (Why did I get the odd notion that the producers were trying to bump this up to an R rating but couldn't quite manage it?) And, my main reason for the high rating, exceptional performances from Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas.

Freeman is his usual stolid self and always worth seeing, though we've all seen his persona before. But Banderas is a particular joy to watch. At least one IMDb reviewer commented that he's getting a bit old to play the wisecracking buddy-movie younger guy, but I didn't view his character that way at all. I saw a cool-headed, competent crook, still young enough to have all his abilities but aware that the tide is ebbing quickly. (Banderas was 49 when this film was released, though his character can pass for considerably less.) And he doesn't take himself seriously; watch his facial expressions, some of which are hilarious, some self-mocking, and all expressive and beautifully in character.

In fact, the entire film doesn't take itself seriously; I think that's why I had such fun watching what is, at bottom, a modest, not particularly original story. The ridiculously high-tech alarm systems and burglary gadgets, the juggling of identities and motives, the light, understated script (including some wonderful scenes featuring fully expendable bad guys): The mood of the whole is simply fun. Crack a beer and enjoy it.

Oh Dear, in deed. What could have been one of the best heist movies in recent history turned out to be (in my humble opinion) a serious let down.

Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas, a potential chemistry that on paper seemed a sure fire hit, but and there's always a but. It just didn't materialize, whether it was the short-comings of the dialog or the direction I can't say; but it just didn't sizzle.

When you think of heist movie partnerships then you have to be very special to match up against De Niro and Norton has seen in 'The Score'.

Freeman and Banderas - don't....sorry. For me this was the most overwhelming shortfall of the film, the two main protagonists just don't bounce off each other and has a consequence the characters fail to draw you in.

As for the plot, Freeman - going for the last big score before retirement, Banderas - hoping to improve his standing in the criminal fraternity whilst making a lot of money in the process.

Formulaic with a twist-at-the-end that was disappointingly obvious because the writers thought it had to have a twist-at-the-end. When will they ever learn that you can tell a story without having the ubiquitous twist - the bigger surprise would have been - oh wait for it - no surprise.

Unfortunately, this movie will go down has another example of Hollywood doing what Hollywood does, very little thought and effort put into an idea that could have been so much greater than the sum of its parts.

I gave this movie a 5 for the attempt of entertaining us, it should be a lot higher if only it had lived up to it's potential.

Thick as Thieves 2009 will not be found under this name, for some reason it is called "The Code"???? Anyway, the film had the foundations of being a good movie, unfortunately, it floundered. It is an OK movie, it has some suspense and a touch of action, but it seems that the story ran out of steam, but the filming continued. Net result, movie without any real purpose. It is a shame because Morgan Freeman is an outstanding actor, one of the real greats, but this particular film does not do him justice. I am not sure what to make of this movie.

The combination of bad acting, lousy directing, faded characters, clichéd script and mediocre sets not only disappointed me, but actually made me mad enough to post this comment. I feel really sorry for Morgan Freeman and Marcel Iures for having had to put up with all the preposterous nonsense called "Thick as thieves". As for Banderas and Mitchell, they seem to be pretty much in the same boat, as both lack basic acting skills and have aged disgracefully. To sum up, the movie is ridiculously bad but, if you appreciate Freeman's previous work, buy a ticket, tear it to bits, go home and watch the evening news: I'm sure it'll be less depressing.

Morgan Freeman is a national treasure on the screen. Antonio Banderas is... well... Antonio Banderas. And Radha Mitchell is as exquisitely gorgeous as she is exceptionally talented.

The film does get off to a slow start and it does take a while to get there while characters and plot are being developed. But my goodness, once this flick gets there it really goes there.

I found the film to be well directed and well acted. The screen writing could have moved this a little faster, and allowed for even more surprises than what we see near the end.

Still, it's a fun movie to watch and if you like intrigue, suspense, a bit of action and surprising plot twists, you will really like this.

The musical score is also totally in tune with the theme of each scene. That's a sign of quality editing and digital work. A solid job.

This gets 8/10 only because of the screenplay. It could have been better, but what film on this kind of budget couldn't be?

Enjoy. I think you will.

I honestly had forgotten I had seen this movie THIS VERY year. That's how unimpressive this movie is.

The good: great actors starring in a lighthearted heist movie. It'll do as a mindlessly entertaining heist flick. It has got some action, some jokes and some romance.

The bad: this story is incredibly stupid. Not even close to credible. That fact makes this movie hard to watch without getting annoyed.

For the fans of Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. And for the fans of the lighthearted heist movie genre.

To be honest I expected a lot more from this film, with Morgan Freeman, a veteran movie maker. However I was a little shocked at the lack of action in this movie.

Yes it was full of faces you may recognise from other movies but to be honest that's about where it leaves you. There were no amazing car chases, not enough action etc.

About the only half decent thing in this movie was the seriously slow unwinding plot twist.

Not a great movie overall, not one I would consider watching again. I guess Morgan is getting on a bit, maybe that attributed to the lack of "things"?