Today’s quick review: Cool Money. Bobby Comfort (James Marsters), a robber just released from prison, tries to work a normal job to support his wife Stephanie (Robin Brule) and their daughter. But Bobby falls back into his old ways when his partner Doc (Wayne Robson) introduces him to Sammy Nola (John Cassini). Together, the three men plan a series of brazen hotel robberies that could net them millions or earn them a lifetime in prison.
Cool Money is a crime movie about a small-time criminal who makes it big by stealing from luxury hotels in New York City. The movie follows Bobby, Sammy, and Doc as they carry out their jobs and try to stay ahead of the police. Cool Money relies on Bobby’s charisma, non-violent robberies, and the question of when to quit for most of its entertainment value. Unfortunately, mediocre characters and a flat plot keep it from shining.
Cool Money aims to be charming, and it is partially successful. James Marsters is a good fit for the part, and the low-pressure tactics the robbers use give a comfortable quality to the whole endeavor. However, the movie struggles to find a hook. The character drama is never that compelling, the robberies are fairly basic, and there is never a strong sense of progression. The result is a crime movie with nice ideas but little to back them up.
Give Cool Money a shot when you are in the mood for something light and relatively inconsequential. There are any number of crime comedies that pull off a similar story with sharper humor and more flair, but Cool Money does a decent job with what it has to work with. Still, critical viewers will be better off trying one of the more ambitious crime movies whose stories have a better payoff.
For another crime movie about a gang of small-time thieves setting out to steal millions, try Plastic. For a darker crime drama about a criminal trying to balance a family life with his career ambitions, try Thief. For a light heist of similar caliber, try The Heist, starring Pierce Brosnan. For a funnier, more elaborate, and more charming heist movie, check out Ocean’s Eleven.
[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435719/). I give it a 6.0 for a somewhat charming story without much heft.