Home > Movies > Movie Review > Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón

Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón

This caper movie's biggest theft is other flicks' plots

By Matt Pais

August 31, 2007

Critic's Rating:

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Two veteran thieves (Fernando Colunga, Miguel Varoni) assemble a random and quirky group of accomplices for a robbery. The mark: Moctesuma Valdez (Saúl Lisazo), an infomercial host who's made millions by hawking phony products like a bracelet that calms arthritis, creams that grow hair and eliminate fat, and "Water of God" that sometimes cures cancer.

Big question: Can this easygoing heist flick provide some escapist pleasure that doesn't feel like the characters are trying to be Danny Ocean and the gang?

Skip it: In fact, "Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón" is such a Spanish-translated mash-up of "Ocean's Eleven" and "Out of Sight" that George Clooney may want to call his attorney. The infiltration and pilfering of Valdez's home also happens far too smoothly and without the springy cool that makes the "Ocean's" guys so enjoyable—even when they seem like they could walk on water if it would get the heat off their backs.

Catch it: If you agree with Rafaela (Ivonne Montero) that real women arm-wrestle. So what does it take to be a real man, thumb war?

Bottom line: The obviously fraudulent products just make the buyers look foolish for being duped, and Alejandro's (Colunga) profession of selling pirated Hollywood movies on the street doesn't exactly endear him as a do-gooder. "Ladrón" is well done and zesty enough, but ay caramba, this is derivative.

Bonus: At one point, Valdez's employees, who think they're being unionized by the Screen Actors Guild, say that their strike against their boss will only work if Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks join them on the picket line. Anyone who ever wants to execute a work stoppage should keep this in mind, unless you're protesting the making of "The Terminal 2." Or the sequel to virtually any Roberts movie.

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