Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)

Why does a movie about stealing fifty cars spend so much time standing around in a garage? Gone in 60 Seconds has a fun hook, a stacked cast and a Shelby Mustang named Eleanor, and it leaves all three idling. Nicolas Cage plays Memphis as a reformed thief with a calm, serious stare, which is weirdly restrained for Cage. Angelina Jolie gets almost nothing to do as Sway. Robert Duvall and Delroy Lindo bring real weight to thin parts. Giovanni Ribisi is fine as the kid brother, but the brother plot is the weak link, because the movie never makes you care whether he’s okay. When the big night of thefts finally arrives, it’s chopped into a blur of quick cuts, and you barely get to enjoy the cars. The final chase with Eleanor is the payoff, and it’s genuinely fun. It made $237.2 million worldwide on a reported $90M to $103.3M. A 4.6 because it’s a great cast stuck in neutral. $66.27 says you walk past an old Mustang this year and call it Eleanor under your breath.

What works: The final chase with Eleanor is genuinely exciting, and the supporting cast brings more class than the script deserves.

What doesn’t: The heist night is chopped into a blur, Angelina Jolie barely gets a scene, and the brother plot drags everything down.

Who it’s for: Car people who will forgive any plot for one long chase in a classic Mustang.