A Los Angeles bank robbing crew come up against the LA County Sheriff Department’s Major Crime Unit. Gerard Butler is the “cop who does not play by the rules” up against a gang featuring O’Shea Jackson Jr, 50 Cent and Pablo Schreiber as their leader.

The first thing I need to get out of the way is that this film desperately wants to be Heat. We have an extremely competent criminal gang led by a meticulous leader who are able to use military tactics when engaged in gun battle and a team of cops who are a close-knit group where the lead detective struggles to keep his family life on track. Even the final heist and denouement echo that masterpiece of film making. So, if you have not seen Heat, I would suggest that you seek out one of the best film’s in existence and watch Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in top form. If you have seen it, then this is perfectly fine as long as you are not looking for any level of nuance.

There are some very good facets to this film though. The heists and gun battles are incredibly well put together and the criminal crew features some good characters. Pablo Schreiber is excellent as the gang leader Merrimen, an ex marine intent on pulling off a huge heist. He is full of intense glares and always seems to be in control of his emotions. O’Shea Jackson Jr is also good as the driver new to the group and most likely to come under pressure from the cops.

Where it falters though is in its failure to sketch out any of the other team members and an incredibly over the top Butler as a character called “Big” Nick. Butler is unable to do subtle or nuance and he plays the cliché cop who is on the line of being a criminal himself with huge amounts of bluster that can be a little tiresome. None of the other cops in his team are given characterisation and whilst the other gang members fair slightly better we are really only left with 3 characters who we know anything about.

If Michael Mann’s Heat did not exist I think I would be recommending this, but as it does I think I would be remiss to not tell you to watch the essential film that has inspired this one.