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"BAIT"
(2000) (Jamie Foxx, David Morse) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Minor Moderate Extreme Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild None Heavy Heavy Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Heavy Mild None Mild Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Comedy/Action/Adventure: A smalltime thief is unknowingly bugged by the feds and used as bait in hopes of luring out a high-tech thief who masterminded a $42 million dollar gold heist from the Federal Reserve.
PLOT:
Alvin Sanders (JAMIE FOXX) is a smalltime thief who's just been incarcerated for stealing a bunch of prawns from a local restaurant. He ends up in jail with John Jaster (ROBERT PASTORELLI), one half of a high-tech criminal team that's just stolen $42 million worth of gold from the Federal Reserve. Realizing he could die at any moment from his worsening heart condition, Jaster tells Alvin to relay a cryptic message to his wife regarding the whereabouts of the hidden gold.

Alvin doesn't know what it means and Edgar Clenteen (DAVID MORSE), the terse and no-nonsense U.S. Treasury investigator working the case, hopes it will lead to the gold or Jaster's partner, Bristol (DOUG HUTCHISON), but it does neither.

Eighteen months later, both Clenteen and Bristol are still looking for that gold. As such, Clenteen decides to secretly plant a tracking device in Alvin's jaw, release him from prison, and then let the word out that he knows where the gold is hidden. Knowing that Bristol is probably observing their every move, Clenteen hopes that Alvin will act as the bait that will lure in the criminal.

To the dismay of Clenteen and his subordinates, agents Wooly (DAVID PAYMER), Blum (JAMIE KENNEDY), Boyle (NESTOR SERRANO) and Walsh (MEGAN DODDS) who are tracking Alvin's every word and move, the ex-con immediately gets into trouble, although he decides to go straight once he learns that his girlfriend, Lisa Hill (KIMBERLY ELISE), gave birth to their child while he was in prison.

Even so, run-ins with his fellow criminal brother, Stevie Sanders (MIKE EPPS) and his two criminal associates, Ramundo (KIRK ACEVEDO) and Julio (JEFFREY DONOVAN), puts Alvin in danger of being busted again, thus threatening to derail Clenteen's plan. Thus, from that point on, the feds do what they can to seize Bristol by keeping Alvin safe and secure, while he slowly begins to realize what's going on.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of Foxx, anyone else in the cast or of comedies laced with action and adventure, they just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For language, violence and a scene of sexuality.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JAMIE FOXX plays a smalltime criminal who's sent to prison for stealing prawns from a restaurant. When not eventually playing the "action hero," he behaves likes the class clown, making smart aleck remarks and uses strong profanity.
  • DAVID MORSE plays the humorless and law breaking fed who will do anything to seize the criminal he's after. He also uses strong profanity.
  • DOUG HUTCHISON plays that high-tech criminal who masterminded an enormous gold heist and will now do anything to find that gold, including threatening, injuring and killing others.
  • ROBERT PASTORELLI plays his sickly partner who breaks off from Bristol when the latter kills two guards in the middle of their heist.
  • KIMBERLY ELISE plays Alvin's girlfriend who gave birth to their child while he was in prison and only lets him back into her life when he promises to go straight. She briefly uses some strong profanity.
  • DAVID PAYMER plays Clenteen's right-hand associate.
  • MIKE EPPS plays Alvin's criminal brother who tries to lure him back into more criminal activity.
  • KIRK ACEVEDO and JEFFREY DONOVAN play two of the brothers' criminal associates who get rough with Alvin when they think he's crossed them.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated, comedy-action/adventure hybrid. Violence is rated as extreme due to several lethal shootings, a lethal explosion, and various non-lethal acts, fighting and threats. Some of those scenes (which result in some bloodshed) and others may be tense or unsettling for some viewers, and most of the main characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes.

    Profanity is rated as extreme due to nearly 60 "f" words, while plenty of other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Some sexually explicit dialogue is also present, while we briefly see a sexual encounter that includes some movement and sounds, but no explicit nudity. Beyond that, there's some profanity and sexually related lyrics in several songs, while a few characters briefly smoke or drink.

    Should this summary not ease your concerns about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific examples of what occurs in the film.

    Of note for those concerned with the repetitive flashing of bright lights on the screen, some of that occurs in a scene set in a club.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • We hear that Jaster was busted for a DWI.
  • People have drinks in a club.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • A bound and gagged guard has a tiny, bloody cut on his head.
  • We see and hear Alvin reacting to the smell of Jaster having just used the bathroom in their jail cell.
  • We see a bloodstained bandage covering a wound on Alvin's face.
  • A man has a little bit of blood on his head after being involved in a car accident.
  • Clenteen has a little bit of blood on his head and from his nose after being slightly injured in an explosion, while another agent has a tiny bit of blood from his lip.
  • Bristol has some blood on his face after getting into a fight.
  • Alvin has some blood on his clothing.
  • We see some bloody bullet hole wounds in a person's clothing as they're shot.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Alvin, Stevie and Ramundo & Julio are all criminals of varying degrees.
  • Bristol and Jaster rob the Federal Reserve of $42 million in gold bars and Bristol will do whatever it takes, including killing people, to retrieve that gold.
  • Clenteen breaks many laws in threatening suspects, witnesses and participating in other matters while trying to capture his man.
  • While showing his boxing impressions, Alvin imitates Mohammed Ali by shaking his hands as if suffering from Parkinson's disease.
  • We find out that Steve's driving a stolen car.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense or unsettling to some viewers.
  • Jaster appears to be having a heart attack and panics when he drops his nitroglycerin tablets. Later, he has the same again.
  • Jaster tries to start a truck to get away from Bristol who's planning on killing him. He eventually gets the truck going, but it then stalls in front of a large fuel truck that then jackknifes and slides toward him and nearly hits Bristol who doesn't move out of the way while shooting at Jaster.
  • We see a person bound, gagged and rigged to a bomb that will explode if a door is opened (and people are arriving to do just that).
  • Alvin discovers that he has nine minutes to stop or get away from Bristol, save Lisa and their baby, and drive a van rigged with a bomb out of harm's way before that bomb explodes.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns: Used to threaten, wound, or kill people. See "Violence" for details.
  • Stun gun/Zapper: Used by Bristol to stun two men.
  • Assault rifles: Carried by federal agents.
  • Bombs: Used to kill and injure many agents while another is used to threaten Lisa, her child and others.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "What the f*ck?" "F*ck you, you freak show," "Are you f*cking nuts?" "F*ck that," "You're f*cked," "F*ck you," "F*ck that sh*t," "F*ck up," "What the f*ck are you talking about?" "Shut the f*ck up," "Shut him the f*ck up," "Bull sh*t," "Horse sh*t," "Sneaky sh*t," "Sick sh*t," "Piece of sh*t," "Jack sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Laid" (sexual), "What the hell?" "Whip your ass," "Who the hell are you?" "Jerk off," "Piece of crap," "Kiss my ass," "Bitch," "Pissed him off," "Bunch of crap," "Balls" (testicles), "Suck," "Shut up" and "What the hell is that?"
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A heavy amount of suspenseful, action-oriented, and dramatic music plays during the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • A sexually themed song has the lyrics "Boy, you don't know what you do to me" and then goes on about places others have never been and will never go (on this female singer's body), and then includes female-based sexual sounds on the song.
  • Other songs had lyrics that couldn't be understood, but we did hear at least 7 uses of the "f" word (several with "mother") as well as some "s" words and the word "nigger."
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 57 "f" words (12 used with mother, with 1 being used sexually as is the term "banging"), 60 "s" words, 16 hells, 15 asses (2 used with "hole"), 11 damns, 3 craps, 3 S.O.B.s, 2 uses each of "G-damn," "Jesus" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes" and "Jesus Christ" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • After Lisa tells Alvin, "F*ck you," he asks where she wants to do it (have sex) and then mentions the couch. He then tells her that after being in prison all he wants is something soft up against his body and asks her for a table dance. We then see that they have a son from a previous sexual encounter and he makes some comment about "make love to your man."
  • Alvin jokingly taunts someone on the phone that someone else is "banging" their girlfriend and then makes some exaggerated, female-based sexual sounds (and says stuff like, "He's so good").
  • After hearing Alvin spilling his guts to Lisa, Clenteen says that Alvin's "Just trying to get laid."
  • Alvin and Lisa have sex and we see him on top of her (but they're under the sheets) with her leg up beside his body. We hear some sexual sounds (as do the feds who can hear everything) and then see them kissing in a head and shoulders shot. She briefly gets on top of him (nothing explicit seen), but then he's back on top of her with some movement (and still obscured by the sheets) and more sexual sounds, but they're interrupted by the sound of a crying baby. The joke then is that the feds are all hot and bothered from hearing this encounter.
  • In relation to the "banging" comment above, a man confronts Alvin and asks if Stevie is "f*cking my girl."
  • We see some women dancing in skimpy/tight outfits at a club where they're on display for others to see.
  • We see Alvin in his underwear.
  • SMOKING
  • Clenteen smokes around four times, while Stevie's girlfriend/wife also smokes.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • None.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The comic portrayal of Alvin's criminal behavior.
  • Government surveillance of unknowing citizens.
  • The laws/rules Clenteen broke while using Alvin as bait to try to lure in and seize Bristol.
  • VIOLENCE
  • We hear Bristol shoot two guards with his silencer-equipped handgun.
  • Bristol fires many shots at Jaster who's just caused a fuel truck to jackknife.
  • Bristol repeatedly shoots a truck driver, killing him.
  • We see that Bristol has killed Jaster's wife (who's bound to a chair).
  • Clenteen slams Jaster up against a wall and then punches him in the body several times. He then grabs Alvin and pulls him up against their jail cell bars.
  • A man non-dramatically dies from a heart attack (or similar heart ailment).
  • Clenteen holds his gun to Alvin's head to make him talk.
  • A prisoner (or a federal agent acting like one), under the direction of Clenteen, walks up and strikes Alvin on the head with some blunt object, knocking him out.
  • Alvin throws a man over a counter after he tries to stop him from leaving.
  • Under the direction of Clenteen, an undercover FBI agent repeatedly rams his cab into Stevie's car (to prevent Stevie and Alvin from driving into a crime bust) and aims his gun at them while doing so. He eventually hits their car, causing it to spin around and run through a fence.
  • A cop purposefully smashes a suspect's head into a car.
  • A man slams Alvin against a car and then a wall. Alvin then head-butts that man whose accomplice tries to punch Alvin but misses and punches the wall instead. They then get control of Alvin, but Bristol then walks up and zaps the two men with a stun gun/electronic zapper.
  • An agent knocks over a person while rushing toward a location.
  • Bristol holds his gun on a federal agent.
  • Clenteen menacingly lifts Stevie off the ground and then throws him down onto a park bench.
  • Julio or Ramundo holds a gun on Alvin and then hits him in the face, but he then struggles with the two of them from the back seat of their car (and their gun goes off, shattering a window). The car then goes out of control and down a sidewalk where it runs over a phone booth before eventually turning over and sliding down the road and then crashing into another car.
  • An explosion rips apart part of a building, killing at least one man and injuring many others.
  • Bristol sprays something into Alvin's face that knocks him out.
  • Bristol briefly acts as if he's going to torture Alvin (who's handcuffed to a chair) with a syringe or other device, but instead pours a hot beverage into his lap (that seems to burn Alvin).
  • Bristol punches Alvin in the gut. The two then struggle with each punching the other several times and Bristol clocking Alvin on the head with a metal bucket. Alvin then bites Bristol on the ear after he was trying to strangle him. Alvin then punches him several times before fleeing, with Bristol firing at him many times, possibly hitting him since we later see Alvin's clothing that has some blood stains on it.
  • Many jockeys are thrown to the turf when Alvin rides a horse the wrong way down a track in the middle of a race.
  • Alvin knocks over some people while running through a crowd.
  • Alvin drives a van through an infield railing and an enormous TV screen before that van explodes (no one is injured).
  • A man repeatedly shoots another man, killing him.
  • Alvin punches Clenteen for what he put him through.



  • Reviewed September 7, 2000 / Posted September 15, 2000

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