Army of Thieves: An effective and entertaining spin-off with endearing characters, our review

Before joining a gang of crazy mercenaries to rob a safe in the middle zombie apocalypse in Army of the Dead, Dieter Ludwig had already trained with another group of criminals, just as special. This story, she is told by Army of Thieves, spin-off ofArmy of the Dead, and serving asorigin story for the young German that we were able to discover in Zack Snyder’s film. This time, it is he who leads the dance and embarks us on a mission where money is not the only gain in the key. Available now on Netflix, is this adventure worth the detour?

Passionate about safes since his earliest childhood, the young Sebastien (Matthias Schweighöfer) - Ludwig Dieter’s real name - lives a rather gloomy and monotonous existence, torn between a non-functioning Youtube channel and a job in a bank. Everything changes the day the mysterious Gwendoline (Nathalie Emmanuel), a thief with fairy fingers with the airs of Catwoman, offers him to join his team of criminals. There’s Brad Cage (Stuart Martin), who thinks he’s an action movie actor, Rolph (Guz Khan), the driver faster than his shadow, and Korina (Ruby O. Fee), the big-hearted hacker. . Their goal ? Open a series of chests all made by the famous Hans Wagner, and each telling a chapter from an opera by Richard Wagner, inspired by Norse mythology.

Sebastian, already under the spell of Gwendoline, accepts, and that’s where the trouble begins. If the gang already has their eyes on the loot, they are also in the sights of a French Interpol agent, Delacroix (Jonathan Cohen), who has revenge to take. By combining humor, action and the right amount of emotion, Army of Thieves may not revolutionize the genre, but ensures an entertaining and light moment for its viewers. The film does not take itself seriously, carried by caricatured and exuberant characters that ensure the show from start to finish. Army of Thieves is a cocktail by which we let ourselves be gently seduced, and which manages to capture our attention even with twists and a conclusion that we could have guessed from the start. As a bonus? An original soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro which recalls that of the saga Sherlock holmes.

With this origin story, one cannot help but feel once again sympathy for Sebastian, who becomes a hero in spite of himself and finally finds his place in a world which did not correspond to him. As entertaining as it is, Army of Thieves However, it shares a flaw with a large number of feature films released this year: it is sometimes too long. Some scenes seem to last longer than they should, which slows down the pace of the film and gives an inevitable feeling of length. Army of Thieves nonetheless remains a perfect choice for spectators who want to go into familiar territory and in search of something without the fuss, or who simply loved Dieter in Army of the Dead. And sometimes having a simple and enjoyable time watching a movie is all you need.