The Stickup (2002)

Dreadfully Boring

Best movie ever!

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It's James-Spader sexy. This man oozes. You just can't move your eyes from him whenever he's on the screen. If you're a James Spader fan, then expect a lot of pauses and several viewings because you won't be able to help yourself from several servings of his gorgeousness. (The same applies if you're a Leslie Stefanson fan.) There's a touch of the seductive mood in "White Palace" in the spicy bar scene when John Parker (Spader) is picked up by the forward Natalie Wright (Leslie Stefanson) and their steamy night together. There are also echoes of "Driftwood" detailing the wounded John in severe pain and how he is undressed and nursed by the saucy Natalie in a delicious way. There are also lots of elements of the complex, deep, unpredictable, crooked, but brilliant, and romantic Alan Shore at play. But it's still an original movie in the way all its odd components comically "jarred" together with such an unforgettable twist that the closest I can think of is the jaw-dropping surprise at the end of "The Sixth Sense".Get it and savor it! It's a real treat. I looooove it!

James Spader is always likable no matter how sleazy or dishonest he is. There is no doubt that he carries this film completely by himself, because all other performances are quickly forgotten. In fact, Spader is downright excellent as L.A. detective John Parker who gets involved in both a bank robbery and a girl in the same day.Like the rest of the actors, the movie is quickly forgotten as well—a low-key cops n' robbers story with a few twists and one or two laughs at best. It is mostly slow and serious and while this pace is deliberate to build up tension in the plot, there are no satisfying action sequences or culminations of any kind to follow it as it unfolds. The rapport between Parker and the lead girl was simply not good as it tried too hard to be 'edgy' with lots of quick bantering and, in the end, was unable to convey any real emotion or even on-screen chemistry. This doesn't make The Stickup a bad movie, but it makes it pretty mediocre. 5/10

Rowdy Herrington's 2001 film The Stickup fools you, or tries to, and is fun to watch as the story unfolds. It begins with the cops chasing a bank robbery getaway car. As we used to say, it starts in the middle and goes both ways. There are flashbacks, and the story is told first from one person's point of view and then another's. There is a surprise around every corner, and each time we get more information we see the bank robbery with new eyes, as it were.The Stickup is a comic adventure/romance/mystery complete with cops, robbers, more cops, a newly-fledged FBI Special Agent, a pretty woman(Leslie Stefanson as Natalie Wright), Our Hero(Spader as John Parker), and two enigmatic Indians. If you happen to see it in the video store, I highly recommend it—it's loads of fun, and despite a couple of plot holes (suspend your disbelief at the door) is ultimately satisfying. The positive vibes from this movie far outweigh the negative. The high speed car chases appeal to the men, and the boy-meets-girl story is for the girls, and the inscrutable Indians are for everyone.The Stickup's low budget does not interfere with its fast-paced story and Spader's wonderful acting—is he a good guy or a bad guy? The mood-setting soundtrack begins as bang-bang stick'em up robbery music over the menu and segues into brassy, 1940s film noir blues as background to the sporadic encounters of Our Hero and the pretty woman ), each more tantalizing. "Damn Right I've got the Blues" plays over their first encounter in the bar, and again over the credits. Original music credited to David Kitay sets the mood throughout.John Livingston, as FBI Special Agent Rick Kendall on his first case as Agent-in-charge, is hilarious in his delight with his first bank robbery and real dye packs. "Wicked!" he says, and "Cool!" He takes such joy in his work, and as the case draws to a close, he is seen talking on his cell phone to his mom.

I am a James Spader fan and I did n-joy this movie. The following may be plot spoilers but worth mentioning in a review. All the other comments are correct in being low budget, sound quality and soundtrack decision. However, I thought it was somewhat of a smart movie also. When guilty cop, with a gun, wants to check where the money is he has the innocent cop check and show him. He could have checked himself and it could have been a typical distraction/fight scene. Instead, guilty cop tells other to check while holding him at gunpoint. Another was the smart discovery by the young FBI agent with the ATM camera. Good thinking, and not something I thought to check. Sure, the point about the woman being a nurse AND ex-wife of the town sheriff was a perfect movie plot, however, I thought all was handled on a smart level. Plus the subplot with other FBI agents added life to this movie. Rating: 7 out of 10.