From the “Why Didn’t They Do This Sooner?” Dept.: Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller have teamed up for the comic crime movie “Tower Heist,” and the brand new trailer for the film offers a few laughs.
The rest of the funny cast is rounded out by Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Tea Leoni, Michael Pena and seasoned comic veterans Alan Alda and Judd Hirsch. It also stars “Precious” Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe, in her first major role since that highly controversial drama. At the very least, this will prove that she has range.
In a topical narrative seemingly ripped from the headlines, Stiller leads a group of luxury apartment building doormen and other working stiffs in a daring robbery of their former boss, a corrupt Wall Street billionaire (Alda), after he bilks them out of their retirement pay. The only problem is that Stiller, Broderick, Affleck, Pena and the other accomplices don’t know how to pull off a heist like that. That’s where Murphy, an ex-con, and possible childhood acquaintance of Stiller’s, enters the picture.
Murphy’s manic energy has been long absent from adult-oriented films, in exchange for a steady stream of lowest-common-denominator kid flicks like “Imagine That,” “Norbit” and “Meet Dave,” but seems an ideal match for Stiller’s irritable straight-man persona. Director Brett Ratner (“X-Men 3”) has had plenty of experience creating cinematic odd couples: He memorably matched Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in the “Rush Hour” films and, somewhat less memorably, Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence in “Money Talks.”
Murphy produced the film, along with Brian Grazer and Kim Roth.
“Tower Heist” opens nationwide November 4.
What do you think of the trailer? Are you excited to see Eddie Murphy back in a comedy?