Jack Goes Confidential: Stiller & Murphy Muddle Through ‘TOWER HEIST’ Script

Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy team with an all-star ensemble cast to serve up the new action comedy TOWER HEIST...

Stiller, plays the second in command at The Tower–filmed at Trump Tower—a luxury high rise in Manhattan where New York’s super rich reside and expect nothing short of excellence in every department.

Also residing in The Tower’s penthouse is wildly successful Wall Street trader and billionaire Alan Alda. He’s nice enough a guy. Very approachable by the staff, but as we soon learn, a Bernie Madoff kinda crook who swindled billions from investors.

Making matters even worse, Stiller had recently entrusted The Tower employees’ pension fund to Alda for management.

And it’s all gone!

But Stiller’s got a hunch that a fair reserve sum of money may still be hidden in the penthouse where Alda is being held under house arrest.

Time for Stiller to organize his troops to raid the place and hopefully get their money back.

Think of it as Robin Hood And His Merry Doormen.

The only thing missing? A master (criminal) mind to help pull it off. That’s whey they turn to petty crook Eddie Murphy for their recovery act—at which time this movie finally picks up steam and turns into an action caper.

But getting there takes almost 45 minutes.

On top of that, TOWER HEIST may feature a big name cast but there’s practically no chemistry between them.
And we’re talking names like Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Gabourey (‘Precious’) Sidibe, Casey Affleck, Judd Hirsch and Michael Pena.

As for Murphy, it’s good to see him back doing what he’s always done best – his edgier streetwise-guy act—not to mention co-producing this picture.

The bottom line however is that TOWER HEIST lumbers along at a lackluster pace, while director Brett Radner (with past hits like the RUSH HOUR series and X-MEN: THE LAST STAND) never quite seems to pull off the magic.

Which isn’t to say that the movie doesn’t have its moments. It does and should make for a pleasant enough 1 hour and 45 minute long escape to non-discriminating audiences.

TOWER HEIST—it’s not a robbery but a 3 out of 5 finger payback!

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