Entertaining, comedically harmless, and largely underrated are the three things that come to mind when talking about “Tower Heist” directed by Brett Ratner.  

The 2011 film stars Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Michael Peῆa, Tea Leoni, and Alan Alda. 

It tells the story of a group of wronged workers of a large exclusive apartment building owned by a greedy businessman played by Alan Alda. When the shady businessman steals the employee’s money, they plan to take back the money through a strategic heist.  

To start, this film has an impressive cast, having currently well-established actors such as Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck while also involving seasoned comedic actors such as Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, and the most comedically prominent actor in the film Eddie Murphy.  

They all have great and endearing chemistry, and each has funny and quirky aspects to their characters.  

Eddie Murphy is the standout kicking the dust off and channeling the energy that made him so popular and influential in the 1980’s with films like “Beverly Hills Cop” or “Trading Places.” 

Matthew Broderick is also an interesting return to form having very humorous timing and a sincere way about his character.  

Alan Alda, mostly notable for the highly successful show “M.A.S.H,” is delightfully menacing as the greedy building owner who will use money to get out of every situation he is presented with. 

The film is adequately paced in its runtime never having a dull moment that loses the viewers’ attention which can be thanks to the sharp writing.  

The film is fairly well written when it comes to the character’s reasons for their actions but falters in the actual heist. In the film’s resolution, the reveal of how the characters pulled off the heist comes off as stupidly convenient in a film that asks you to put aside several realistic inconsistencies.  

The cinematography of the film is also fairly impressive and creative with a scene in which the characters are dangling outside of the high-storied apartment building showcasing the city of New York City during the Thanksgiving Parade.  

The film costed around $75 million to make and uses the New York City setting to its fullest advantages.   

Something to respect about this film that sets itself apart from other entertaining “all ends well” films is the ending. “Tower Heist” ends with its main character having a fate that is largely unseen in feel good comedy films.  

Overall, “Tower Heist” delivers on smirk humor, entertaining characters, and a story that moves at quick enough pace to keep the audience watching throughout.  

The film does deserve more attention and praise as an easy-to-digest comedy heist film with acclaimed actors from all spectrums of comedy.  

My overall rating: 3.5/5 

Drew Coffey is a sophomore television and video production major. He can be reached at [email protected] or 217-581-2812.