THE INSTIGATORS (2024) - Movie Review

Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Jack Harlow, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Ron Perlman, Ving Rhames
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Writer: Chuck Maclean, Casey Affleck
Runtime: 101 min
Rated: Rated R for pervasive language and some violence
Buy This Movie: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician's ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory's therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture -- or worse.

Review:

The heist action comedy "The Instigators" is a double reunion. Director Doug Liman reteams with "The Bourne Identity" star Matt Damon, who in turn reunites with long-time friend Casey Affleck. Damon and Affleck previously starred together in "Good Will Hunting" and the "Ocean's" movies, but the only other movie I can think of where they both played leads was Gus Van Sant's survival drama "Gerry" way back in 2002. In "The Instigators" they play two down-and-out strangers who are hired to rob Boston's corrupt mayor (Ron Perlman) on election night. Things don't go as planned (do they ever ?), and the mismatched partners find themselves on the run from the cops, the crime boss who hired them, and a pissed-off bureaucrat.

There's not a lot you can say about a movie like "The Instigators". It's an old-fashioned buddy action comedy that coasts on the charm of its leads. It's as generic as it gets, with cartoonish plot and characters. Damon and Affleck make a good pair, quipping one-liners and acting silly, and seem to be having fun. Hong Chau is a great addition to the cast and has a very fun dynamic with both actors, but she's woefully underutilized. The vibrant cast of supporting players also includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Paul Walter Hauser, Toby Jones, Ron Perlman and Ving Rhames. They add small touches of colour, but are still playing characters we've seen them play before, adding to a sense of familiarity and predictability that permeates the entire movie.

As an action director with plenty of experience in the genre, Liman contributes a couple of solidly crafted set pieces, including a car chase that gave me Jason Bourne flashbacks. From a technical standpoint, the movie looks and sounds great. It's also reasonably well paced and never gets bogged down in unnecessary details. It offers no more or less than is required to keep things moving at a robust pace.

"The Instigators" doesn't stand out, but it isn't terrible either. It isn't laugh-out-loud hilarious, but a couple of one-liners might catch you off guard and squeeze a chuckle out of you. It's technically proficient, but also perfectly content with being middle-of-the-road entertainment. It's by no means a cynical cash-grab, either, like many movies churned out by Hollywood and streamers these days, and everyone involved seems to give it their best. Unfortunately, best intentions don't always yield best results. It's still worth a watch, as long as you don't expect too much from it.

SCORE: 6.5/10