close
close

The Clean Up Crew Review

Summary

  • Exaggerated acting, strange cuts and a thin plot make
    The cleanup crew
    a ridiculous wannabe comedian.
  • The always great Antonio Banderas embodies Machiavelli in an embarrassing portrayal of the gangster boss.
  • The good cast seems to be having fun, and there are a few laughs, but a weak script, confusing editing, and unoriginal action scenes make the film a forgettable mess.



Antonio Banderas rants Machiavelli as his criminal empire crumbles in this confusing action comedy that never really gets going. The cleanup crew tests your patience with a strained narrative about bumbling thieves, corrupt cops, and a quartet of crime scene cleaners caught up in an absurd robbery. The film has a Guy Ritchie feel with talkative, goofy characters shooting at each other in a bloody barrage of split-screen cuts and cheesy background music. Everything is intentionally and grossly exaggerated. That is supposedly where the humor lies, but The cleanup crew elicits a little giggle at best.


A crime scene cleaning crew keeps the money


Spanish gangster Gabriel Barrett (Banderas) has ruthlessly controlled crime since arriving in Ireland three years ago, and some people are fed up with it. Idiots Danny and Jack are sick of working for Gabriel's crumbs. The hired street thugs decide to steal a box of bribe money instead of handing it over to their corrupt Special Crimes Agency officer. Let's just say the transaction doesn't go as planned. The police investigate the aftermath, but are unable to find the loot. The Good Life Cleaners are called in to clean up the bloody crime scene.

Siobhane (Melissa Leo), the company owner, calls the quarrelsome couple Alex (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Meaghan (Ekaterina Baker) for the early morning job. Meaghan has been dying to get married for years. She hopes to open a funeral home, a dream Alex does not share. They are joined by Charlie (Sven Temmel), a hulking drug addict with an explosive temper who Siobhan keeps on a short leash. This cleanup crew dons their red protective suits for bloody tasks, but finds a big surprise in the chimney.


15:20

The Clean-Up Crew - Swen Temmel Interview

Related

Swen Temmel on the connection with Bruce Willis in his last films and his new film “The Clean Up Crew”

Swen Temmel also chats about his upcoming sequels to the action films Cash Out and Den of Thieves as well as his new film The Clean Up Crew.

Antonio Banderas is not Machiavelli

The tone of the film is clear from the beginning, with Banderas' gleeful overacting. His sleek black hair, wiry mustache, and Machiavellian fixation are laughably over the top. Gabriel waves his gun around theatrically like an orchestral composer, but just doesn't seem threatening. The clownish antics continue as his inept henchmen taunt him while simultaneously terrifying him. These are not fearsome killers to be taken seriously.


The Good Life Cleaners have a similarly strange and somewhat cartoonish dynamic. Leo, with a flawless Irish accent, gets Siobhan to complain in similar terms about her employees, adopted children and general malaise. Alex and Meaghan love each other but can't agree on a future together. Then there's PCP-smoking, drug-addicted Charlie, who inexplicably passes out every time his high wears off. They're a bizarre bunch whose loyalties are tested when stolen money causes discord.

Alex and Meaghan view their ill-gotten gains as winning the lottery. Siobhan correctly assumes that whoever lost the case will surely be looking for it and putting everyone's lives in danger. How can they not be the prime suspects? Charlie, in a rare moment of clarity, agrees with Alex and Meaghan. He's completely after the money and isn't afraid to fight for it.


1:28

X Recent Heist Movies You Probably Missed

Related

10 current heist movies you probably missed

These poignant plots reminded us that the gangster film is still one of Hollywood's most entertaining genres.

Ridiculous people in boring places

Screenwriter Matthew Rogers (The survivor, Codename Banshee) offers no mystery to the plot. The cleaners, Gabriel's idiots and policemen collide like ping pong balls. Scenes that make no sense at all. Charlie, in a truly confusing turn of events, is apparently an unstoppable killer with a dark past. He is armed to the teeth when the situation goes predictably wrong. Charlie can literally be surrounded by heavily armed killers, miss every bullet and wipe them all out without breaking a sweat or reloading.


Alex, on the other hand, is no unbridled psychopath and actually has a moral dilemma when it comes to mowing down bad guys. His back-and-forth with Charlie amid the carnage is meant to be funny, but it completely misses the mark. Are we supposed to laugh at their apparent invincibility while everyone else gets shredded like Swiss cheese?

Jeff Bridges as The Dude in The Big Lebowski / The cast of Clue (1985) gathered around each other / Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out

Related

The 10 best crime comedies of all time

Whether it's due to the direction of the plot, the actions of the characters, or some other aspect, a hearty laugh can be a welcome change in serious situations.

The cleanup crew has a confusing editing style that quickly becomes boring. Prolific director and producer Jon Keyes, best known for his cult hit American nightmarehas made several VOD action films with Rogers and Banderas. His excessive use of split screen here must have been an attempt to differentiate the look of the film (or another attempt to copy Ritchie). This might have worked if all the action hadn't taken place in a few limited settings. Keyes is trying to add tension to the film. boring environments that we have seen ad nauseamA warehouse, a forest and an office cannot be made more exciting by editing tricks. The film's low budget is painfully noticeable.


Related: Best Antonio Banderas Movies, Ranked

Someone had to clean up this script

The cleanup crew grasps at straws and falls short. A decent cast cannot overlook the laborious dialogue, the weak plot and the unremarkable action. The pacing also becomes a problem, as the film struggles to fill the short 90 minutes. Fans of Machiavelli's The Prince could make fun of Banderas' constant whining, but the joke definitely running out of steam for everyone else. Like this character, the film is not as smart as it thinks.


The cleanup crew is a production of Yale Productions, LB Entertainment and Highland Myst Entertainment, et al. The film will be released on VOD by Saban Films and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on August 20th. You can rent or buy it on the usual digital platforms such as Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango at Home and on Prime Video via the following link:

Watch The Clean Up Crew

You may also like...