I enjoyed Entrapment mostly as a "caper" movie. Sean and Catherine are both entertaining enough, and they do the best they can with what they're given. But that isn't much in the way of characterization. Mac and Gin seem to "bond" remarkably quickly - they're thrown together, they fall in love (sort of), and it's all left to the audience to assume this. Not much is played out, and there isn't really a feel, IMO, for why Connery's character falls in love with Gin despite the fact she's a manipulating b***h.
The "capers," are all excellent. Most of it is left to Zeta-Jones to perform, as someone noted - all of Mac's "thieving" is left off-screen. I found the final money-transfer a bit confusing, and they seem to be doing a "Mac/Old Thief style vs. Gin/HighTech" competition that didn't make much sense: Mac used plenty of high-tech during the mask robbery. That mask robbery is really the highlight of the film, although it doesn't really contribute much significance to the plot. But even then, they somewhat mess it up by showing Zeta-Jones performing essentially the same sequence in rehearsal. As acrobatic as she undoubtedly is, do we need to see the same thing twice??
That brings us to the "twist" angle. Quite frankly, I thought they didn't play quite fair. Thibadeaux's first sequence with Mac is between only the two of them. But they don't act like FBI boss/blackmailer and "caught" criminal - they act like criminal and supplier. But...there's nobody there to see them act like that. Okay, they might be doing that for Gin's benefit...if she were there! As it is, this sequence only exists to mislead the audience. Boo.
As for the other characters, Rhames is entertaining as always, but not given much to do. Neither is Patton, except to look alternately p****d and infatuated. Maury Chaykin's performance is absurd.
So overall, I rate this movie a bit better than average. It doesn't dumb down to an intelligent audience, but that same audience probably would rather see more action/intrigue/caper and less of the romance angle.
The "capers," are all excellent. Most of it is left to Zeta-Jones to perform, as someone noted - all of Mac's "thieving" is left off-screen. I found the final money-transfer a bit confusing, and they seem to be doing a "Mac/Old Thief style vs. Gin/HighTech" competition that didn't make much sense: Mac used plenty of high-tech during the mask robbery. That mask robbery is really the highlight of the film, although it doesn't really contribute much significance to the plot. But even then, they somewhat mess it up by showing Zeta-Jones performing essentially the same sequence in rehearsal. As acrobatic as she undoubtedly is, do we need to see the same thing twice??
That brings us to the "twist" angle. Quite frankly, I thought they didn't play quite fair. Thibadeaux's first sequence with Mac is between only the two of them. But they don't act like FBI boss/blackmailer and "caught" criminal - they act like criminal and supplier. But...there's nobody there to see them act like that. Okay, they might be doing that for Gin's benefit...if she were there! As it is, this sequence only exists to mislead the audience. Boo.
As for the other characters, Rhames is entertaining as always, but not given much to do. Neither is Patton, except to look alternately p****d and infatuated. Maury Chaykin's performance is absurd.
So overall, I rate this movie a bit better than average. It doesn't dumb down to an intelligent audience, but that same audience probably would rather see more action/intrigue/caper and less of the romance angle.