The Instigators - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

THE biggest surprise about Doug Liman's The Instigators is just how fast moving it is. In a good way.

A heist movie boasting a star-studded ensemble, this wastes no time in getting to the action, rather than spending much on the planning. Yet while this may come at the expense of some of the characterisation, it makes for a slick and hugely enjoyable experience.

Liman is no slouch when it comes to action, having notably previously united with Damon on the original Bourne Identity. Yet he's also delivered decent thrills with the likes of Jumper and last year's Road House remake.

Here, he mixes some muscular action sequences with a nice line in dark comedy, to winning effect.

The story follows broken down ex-Marine Rory (Damon), a borderline suicidal veteran, who informs his therapist, Dr Rivera (Hung Chau), that he only has a few more tasks to complete before possibly checking out of his miserable life. One of those is repaying some kind of debt, which he strives to get the money he doesn't have for by teaming up with ex-con Cobby (Casey Affleck) to stage a robbery at the behest of small-time criminal businessmen Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina.

Their mark is Boston Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman), whose safe is due to be filled with dodgy cash donations on the election night he is expected to win for yet another term. But things immediately begin to unravel when Miccelli is booted out by the electorate and his donations are no longer in the safe - having hurriedly been withdrawn by those placed in charge of protecting it.

A botched attempt to get away with anything sees Miccelli forced to part company with a gold bracelet he seems particularly attached to, which brings bullish lawman Frank Toomey (Ving Rhames) into play, as a kind of lone gun retriever.

Yet with so many people on their trail (from lawmen to fellow criminals aligned with Stuhlbarg), it's up to Rory and Cobby to do the best they can in order to help Rory honour his debt, while keeping themselves alive in the process.

With so many talented performers among its ensemble cast, it is perhaps a shame that more time isn't spent building some into more interesting characters, with Stuhlbarg and Molina particularly short-changed as the main heavies in that department - and even Perlman and Rhames given very little to do. This isn't an Ocean's 11 wannabe, despite the reunion between Ocean's members Damon and Affleck.

Rather, this is more about the fun of the chase, which includes at least one spectacular slice of vehicular mayhem, as well as the odd explosion and plenty of 'how are they going to get themselves out of this' style scenarios.

This does, at least, allow for Damon and Affleck to strike up an endearing chemistry, which is built around the desperation of both their lives and their ever worsening predicament, while Chau's psychiatrist also shines as she finds herself increasingly drawn into the plight of her client.

But it does come at the expense of anything more substantial, with several of the possibilities for something weightier (such as insights into PTSD or political corruption) too easily discarded.

The Instigators therefore gets by on the chemistry of its performers and the quality of its action. Yet while delivering escapist entertainment while it lasts, it drifts a little too easily away from the memory.