MAD MONEY

RATING 3

(Director: Callie Khouri, PG-13, 104 min)

Bridget (Diane Keaton) and Don (Ted Danson) have a comfortable upper-class life until Don gets downsized and they are in danger of losing their house and everything that goes with their lifestyle. Bridget decides to get a job, but the only thing she’s qualified for is the clean-up crew at the Federal Reserve Bank. She doesn’t like cleaning toilets, but being around all that money gives her an idea for some seriously nice fringe benefits. She develops a plan to rob the bank of the cash they’re going to shred anyway, so it’s not even like stealing, it’s more like "recycling". She gets Nina (Queen Latifah) to help by stressing the good schools she could afford – which means a lot to a single mom living in a less-than-spectacular school district. They also bring in Jackie (Katie Holmes), even though they’re a little concerned about her ditzy behavior and her "feelings" about things going wrong.

Don and Jackie’s husband Bob (Adam Rothenberg) eventually get pulled into the plan and they even have to bring in security guard Barry (Roger R. Cross) when a close call almost gives them away. Nobody gets to spend any of the money until clever Don comes up with cover stories and then the fun really begins. Bridget gets a little carried away in the scam because it’s never enough money for her – but how long can you really keep getting away with the perfect crime?

There are some funny moments here, but it’s not consistently hilarious. And there are some grand gestures in the end, but they don’t necessarily seem deserved.

The biggest thing that this movie has going for it is the fact that all these people can do comedy. It’s entertaining and you’re rooting for these women to get away with the cash (even though the movie starts with them trying to destroy most of it). The downside is that it’s a little too predictable and a little too much fluff, but that’s about the best that you can expect for a January release.

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Movie Chick Cherryl:
"You wouldn’t have to be mad to spend money to see this, but I would wait and see it on the small screen – 3."