Empire State (2013)

When it’s over, the downfall of this potentially good story was the lack of good characterization and poor casting. Chris (Liam Hemsworth) and Eddie (Michael Angarano) are two childhood friends who decide to rob an armoured car depository to make ends meet, financially. What drew me to this film was the promising premise, the heist element - the idea of the how it was accomplished and for what reason and whether the robbers would get away with it. The film had these elements, but it had no heart, nothing that made me care about the characters. Hemsworth was just so-so, not leading man material. Angarano was aggravating and irritating to watch. His portrayal of wise-ass Eddie was a huge turn-off. Since the film claimed to be based on a true story, I was not sure if it was the character or the actor who made me want to smack Eddie. Dwayne Johnson was the NYPD officer investigating the heist, and if I was not persuaded by the story, I was definitely urged on by his presence in the film. Little good that did, since he was only in a handful of scenes, and none of which were memorable. Emma Roberts played Nancy, the waitress, who should have been Chris’s love interest, but ended up lost in the shuffle of random scenes. Originally set in the 1980’s, the film was not. There was nothing that made me feel I was in that decade. And if there was, it was too small for me to catch or remember. The film's only plus was the build-up to the end, the unknown element of how it was going to end and how they were going to get away with the heist. But, the ending proved to be weak and disappointing, and the film, not worth recommending at all, even if you are a fan of the cast. 

My rating: 2 out of 5