Today’s quick review: Set Up. After stealing $5 million worth of diamonds, Sonny (50 Cent) is betrayed and left for dead by his partner Vince (Ryan Philippe). To get his revenge, Sonny must track down his one-time friend and uncover the reason for his betrayal. But Mr. Biggs (Bruce Willis), a local crime boss, has taken an interest in the heist and sends his goon Petey (Randy Couture) to take a piece of the action from Sonny.
Set Up is a crime movie that aspires to be a dramatic tale of betrayal and redemption. However, its weak script, flimsy acting, and uninteresting characters keep it from living up to its ambition. Bruce Willis and Randy Couture are the only real rays of light in the film, with Willis as the affable criminal Mr. Biggs and Couture as his oddly casual henchman Petey.
Set Up’s main failing is its writing. The plot fits together poorly, the movie does a clumsy job of moving its pieces into place, and plot threads drop off and reappear at random. As for its main characters, Vince is an inept villain and his relationship with Sonny is never developed properly. For his part, Sonny is a bland but passable protagonist with a forced redemption arc and little style of his own.
Set Up makes for an uncompelling and occasionally confusing watch. It goes through the motions of a crime movie but only offers two supporting characters and a few mishandled plot hooks to make it worthwhile. Most viewers would be better off watching Four Brothers, The Town, or Snatch, different flavors of crime movie with better execution.
4.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for glimmers of an interesting movie hampered by poor writing and acting.