Review
The Retirement Plan (Action, Comedy, Crime) (2023)
Director: Tim Brown
Writer: Tim Brown
Stars: Ashley Greene, Thalia Campbell, Nicolas Cage, Jackie Earle Haley
After a significant theft, a father finds himself in a perilous situation. As a result, he is forced to send his wife and daughter to the Cayman Islands for safety. Unfortunately, only a single seat is available, leaving the mother stranded while dangerous people are tailing.
An assortment of well-known stars and a middling budget allows Tim Brown to take on a comedy crime feature. Filmed on the Cayman Islands, it is reminiscent of Liam Neeson films for several reasons, including casting an older actor to perform the fight scenes. "The Retirement Plan" is one of the films in a multi-picture deal Darius Films made with the local authorities of the Caymans. Additionally, being produced by Productivity Media with Joker Films distributing it.
In a risky act, Jimmy (Jordan Johnson-Hinds) steals a USB drive, which puts his family in danger as his wife Ashley (Ashley Greene) is the getaway driver. In order to evade the criminals who are after them, knowing of their involvement, Ashley and their daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) attempt to board a plane to the Cayman Islands. However, there's only one seat available for Sarah, and Ashley has to stay behind soon captured by the bad guys. Meanwhile, Sarah boards the plane alone to find her grandfather, whom she has never met. When things get dangerous, it turns out that her grandfather has a few tricks up his sleeve that might come in handy.
While the narrative seems incredibly straightforward, it takes an eccentric turn. Tim Brown puts Nicolas Cage and Jackie Earle Haley on opposing sides, with the feds in between. Attempting a screenplay similar in theme to "Nobody", an unexpected and, in this case, comedic "John Wick" parody coming across like a less intense Liam Neeson film.
Unable to fully comprehend the fast-paced theft we're dealing with, as there isn't much context given. The crime-ridden city of Miami, Florida, appears to be vastly different from reality. Donnie, a mafioso in charge of the Miami underground, is fixed to ruin Johnson-Hinds' Jimmy and anyone associated with taking the thumb drive. There is a stark contrast between the tropical islands where Cage's Matt resides and the city Campbell's Sarah must flee from.
When it comes to "Retirement Plan", there's a certain charm to it. Cage, Greene and Campbell are able to provide such with much assistance in Perlman's interactions as a goof-headed buffoon called Bobo. From the peninsula-bound city of Miami, providing a launching platform, only returning to it in the form of Haley's criminal hideout until, furious with his incompetent goons, he goes to the Caymans himself. Strenuously going between Cage, Sarah and Bobo with the Miami sections in-between, there's a severe lack of definition and some rigid action sequences that sadly seem not to be included in the budgeting phase since all of the money went to actors such as Cage, Haley, Perlman and even Ernie Hudson.
Hard to distinguish, "The Retirement Plan" falls in a crevice between "Taken" and "Nobody". Trying to be different, yet copy-pasting visual cue's together without truly sticking any on properly. Moments such as an off-screen airport attendant asking "Business or Pleasure" to a bunch of goons was a running gag that had me chuckling, if only it went entirely in the comedy direction without the crime drama flirtations. Perlman quoting Shakespeare additionally created a glimmer of childlike delight. Besides that, Brown's feature is a grey and featureless endeavour that falls way short of other recent Cage depictions.
Verdict
They should've retired the plan to make this film.
4,0
