Let it suffice to say that people are rarely who they seem to be in this occasionally thrilling “thriller” about a master art thief and the beautiful woman who could be: a) a fellow heist-meister seeking his help on a big caper; b) an insurance investigator out to catch him in the act; or c) both. The pair retreat to Mac’s remote castle on the Scottish Isles to train in Karate Kid fashion for their first big job—stealing a priceless Asian artifact (their high-tech gizmos steal the show). But this is just an appetizer. The main course involves breaking into an 84-story high Malaysian bank on the eve of the millennium and electronically transferring $8 billion into a private account. Along the way, Mac and Gin try to stay focused despite a growing attraction to one another, and vacillate over whether there really is any honor among thieves. The final ten minutes turn into a cinematic shell game as identities and motives rapidly unfold.
Positive Elements: Mac resists being seduced by Gin. He looks out for her safety and, when they’re cornered by authorities with only one parachute between them, he gives it to her. There is no sex. Not a single person is murdered.
Sexual Content: The curvaceous Gin appears in several form-fitting outfits. Mac first confronts her in her hotel room where she is sleeping in the nude (she sits up and he apparently sees her bare breasts, though the nudity is just implied to the audience). She later comes on to him with passionate kisses, but he stops her before it goes too far. Simmering sexual tension oozes from Gin’s boss, Cruz, who seems to take too personal an interest in her. A painting features a bare-breasted woman.
Violent Content: A man holds a knife to Gin’s throat, inspiring her to smash a large vase over his head. He recovers and fires shots at Mac and Gin as they drive off. The roof of their car gets stabbed by a knife-wielding attacker. Convinced that Gin is trying to doublecross him, Mac grabs her by the hair and holds her underwater until she comes clean about her intentions. Gin assaults Mac with a metal briefcase. Authorities fire weapons at the fleeing thieves, including a rocket launcher that releases noxious gas. In an escape ploy, Gin takes Mac “hostage” and holds a gun to his head.
Crude or Profane Language: A dozen or so profanities appear in heated flurries. Thibadeaux uses the f-word twice. There are several exclamations of “oh my god” and one inappropriate use of Jesus’ name.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mac and Gin drink whiskey and beer on several occasions.
Other Negative Elements: Entrapment asks viewers to root for a pair of upscale criminals. It paints law enforcement and a worldwide banking conglomerate as the bad guys, and two greedy crooks as sympathetic heroes. But unlike Robin Hood or James Bond, Mac and Gin don’t even have the misguided, yet noble intention of robbing from the rich in order to help the less fortunate, or stealing secrets in the interest of national security. They’re essentially selfish, high-stakes purse-snatchers. It should make Christians feel extremely uncomfortable to have their sense of morality and justice manipulated and turned on its head. Entrapment is also something of a “how-to” video for well-equipped thieves.
Summary: Audiences expecting a slam-bang action/adventure yarn may be disappointed with the scant amount of pulse-pounding excitement in Entrapment. It’s more of an intellectual exercise than its 007-esque TV commercials suggest. But its restraint is refreshing. The film doesn’t exploit violence or the sex-appeal of its stars, but instead chooses to tease us with more cerebral twists and turns (though lapses in logic plague Ron Bass and William Broyles’ screenplay, which is forced to make sense at so many levels that it fails to truly engage). With the exception of foul language and a misguided sense of heroism, Entrapment could have been an intriguing movie for teens and adults.
