In Lift, master thief Cyrus (played by Kevin Hart) and his crew are recruited by Interpol agent Abby (Belle/Loki's Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who was previously after them, in order to steal a large shipment of gold being transported via plane to terrorists.
This is a fairly basic heist film in terms of characters, dialogue, and set up, but it is still a light, breezy experience that managed to keep my attention. I particularly liked that this was trying to be an escapist film without civilian casualties, but the filmmakers also managed to make the villains fairly nasty/reprehensible enough within the PG-13 boundaries.
The most unique aspect of this is the flight-based heist. I won't spoil anything, but I hadn't a heist done this way before (haven't seen money plane, but I'm pretty sure they're going a different route than Money Plane). This is a popcorn film, and they make the exterior and interiors of planes in this (one of which is first class) pretty appealing with sleek and colorful modern design.
It's kinda apparent that Hart is doing this to prove that he can also be a dramatic/action star. Known for his particular comedic style, he plays it completely straight here without jokes, and he does a decent job. Wouldn't say he's become the most charismatic action star, but he sells the character. Vincent D'Onofrio plays the flamboyant member of the gang and as the actor has proven in The Magnificent Seven and Dumb Money he relishes whenever he can go over-the-top. Attention should also be given to Torchwood/Pacific Rim's Burn Gorman (who is unappreciated in my opinion) as the villain's right hand who brings a little bit of personality to the role.
Kinda recommended. Not the greatest heist movie ever but makes for a passable time waster.
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