Tower Heist

January 12, 2013 - Ben Stiller turns from hotel manager to thief when he realizes that he and his co-workers have been ripped off. Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand) directs a cast that includes Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Téa Leone and Gabourey Sidibe.

Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, the detail-oriented manager of a swanky residential hotel in Manhattan. He plays online chess with one of the residents, a big-time investor named Arthur Shaw (Alda). However, it turns out that Shaw has been ripping off clients in order to finance his lavish lifestyle. Those clients include the hotel employees' pension fund, which Kovacs asked Shaw to manage.

With their money gone and Kovacs fired (he took a golf club to Shaw's prized classic car), Kovacs sets out for revenge. He turns to a childhood acquaintance (Murphy) and some trusted hotel guests and employees. Together, they figure out where Shaw stashed his stolen millions and concoct an outrageous plan to get it back. Leoni plays the FBI agent in charge of Shaw's case. She has to follow the rules, but she can't help having a soft spot for Kovacs.

Overall review: ** The set-up is pretty good as it pits Kovacs and Shaw in a very personal, high-stakes chess match. But, the movie devolves into ridiculousness as Ratner allows it to turn into more of an action flick. The cast is good; they just needed better material to work with.