Hey gang, Valkor here. Of all the television shows that I enjoy watching, aside from the comic book stuff, I gotta say that clip shows such as “Tosh.O” or “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, rank high as some of my favorites; ranked highest amongst them all is the show “World’s Dumbest Criminals”, which not only cracks me up with the B-List celeb commentary, but the antics of the dumb criminals themselves. If you heard these as a story, you’d probably find it hard to believe. But to actually watch them try to pull off a caper with hilarious end results is just too funny not to watch. So, the next film up on the TOV MediaView chopping blocks relates not specifically to that show, but more towards actual dumb criminal acts that such a show is based on. And it’s actually called “Dumb Criminals: The Movie”, which comes to us from Australia. And While I have my issues with the film, overall it’s fun to watch. Be aware of spoilers ahead!
“Dumb Criminals: The Movie” is one part fiction and one part real life. The fiction part centers on two friends Rabbit (Paul Fenech) and Rongo (Kevin Taumata), who look to keep a promise to their recently deceased father-figure and mentor “Biker Bob” (Andy McPhee), which is to look after his daughter Sharnelle (Elle Dawe) and granddaughter Sharley (Sage Matchette). Now Sharley has a rare disorder and needs medical attention that she can only get outside of Australia. But in order to make that happen, Sharnelle would need 150k AUD, which she doesn’t have. So Rabbit and Rongo devise a way to steal the money, which is where the real-life part kicks in because their antics are based on actual criminal acts. There’s even a prompt that lets you know when the actual act happens. While Rabbit and Rongo (along with a group of their buddies) attempt and fail at stealing the money, in a variety of ways, one of their stoner partners, Pothead (Ben MacLean), actually succeeds at robbing a credit union of 300k! Unfortunately, their celebration comes to a quick end as the local biker gang known as “The Hunters” rolls up on their crib and takes the money. Rabbit confronts the gang and just before he meets his end, he’s given a proposition by the head of the group: he and Rongo fly to Las Vegas and take out this shifty accountant for them. In return, they’ll get half of the money the back.
Now, this should have been an easy job for the two, but of course, they find some way to mess it up – and boy do they mess it up. It turns out the account was involved in some shenanigans with a Mexican cartel, which went to shit as the feds rolled up on their transaction, both sides ended up wasted and the accountant escaping. However, the story does have a happy ending as Rongo, using the duo’s last dollar, hits a slot machine jackpot, which gives them enough money to pay off little Sharley’s operation.
Before we dip into “The Breakdown”, I gotta give a nod to “Dumb Criminals: The Movie” for having the best opening of a film I’ve seen in a long while. It’s crazy, sexy and funny all at the same time and I wish it had gone full circle with the ending.
The Good:
“Dumb Criminals: The Movie” is a fun combination of fact and fiction, brought together to form one entertaining experience. Going in, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, like would the film mix in clips from actual dumb crimes or simply recreate them? The latter is what you can expect, but it also piqued my interest enough to Google the real-life events. One, in particular, is the story of “Ned Kelly”, which doesn’t sound like a “dumb criminal”, I’m guessing someone attempted to pull off a job in his style? Maybe? The story is pretty straightforward, though at times it can be a bit all over the place; however, the film does a decent job of staying on message, with what the criminals need to do to reach their goal. I can’t say too much about the acting because everything is so over-the-top, but I felt everyone did their job well. Paul Fenech gets a special nod not only for being funny but that opening “Rabbit Dance” is just too much. Either way, I want more Rabbit and Rongo antics based on real-life dumb criminal events. But until that happens (if it does happen), “Dumb Criminals: The Movie” was definitely worth the trip!
The Bad:
First up the film is maybe ten – fifteen minutes too long; some parts drag unnecessarily and the film could use some editing to tighten things up a bit. Speaking of editing, there are scenes that feel rather choppy and once again, all over the place; however, the film finds its flow when the guys are in Vegas, but before that, it’s kind of a mess. Not an unwatchable mess, but still a mess.
The Ugly:
Sharnelle’s voice! Yikes!
Until “Dumb Criminals: The Movie” makes the digital or physical rounds on this side of the fence, you’ll have to do a little bit of importing if you wish to see it. And I’ll update this page with any additional info should it come my way. But until then, “Dumb Criminals: The Movie” is a fun blend of fact and fiction, that needs to be seen. I’d recommend it. And out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving “Dumb Criminals: The Movie” 3.5.
