‘Marauders’ (2016) Official Trailer Sneak Peek

After a major bank is robbed in a vicious heavily-armed heist, all fingers point to the bank’s owner, but as investigators close in, something larger looms. It’s Marauders.

The story of banks and their corruptive practices continues to be fodder for blockbuster movies and while we’ve recently seen a few good ‘talky’ films on the subject, now it’s time for some action. The story, of which few details are knowns, centers around a series of deadly and highly charged bank heists where gunmen in masks rush a bank and take the money, causing a lot of destructive chaos in-between. At the core of the investigation are a couple of FBI agents (played by Christopher Meloni and Dave Bautista). One of them is disillusioned with his life, contemplating suicide, but finds motivation in this strange string of attacks. While it initially looks like the robbers are in it for the money, things take a twisty turn when the owner of a large multinational bank (played by Bruce Willis) seems to be connected and the trail the thieves leave behind lead authorities to something bigger. Specific men are being assassinated in the hits and huge sums of money are being donated to charities.

Directed by Steven C. Miller, this thriller looks a little familiar to be sure, and plays out in the clip with little innovation. Bank robbers shout out they are don’t want anyone to be heroes, they are only here for the bank’s money, not theirs, a line of dialog we’ve heard many times before. Willis remains (sadly) action-less, poised at the top of the money food chain in shiny suits with penthouse views, clearly a “bad guy” smirking at cops with an untouchable attitude. Meloni takes top-billing but it’s nearly impossible to watch this and not expect to hear the Law & Order iconis bum-bum sound, especially in an establishing shot of him donning his Special Victims FBI windbreaker. That said, there is some appeal here, and the promise of a mystery teases a hope that this could be better than the usual standard cops & robbers shoot ’em ups. Willis has made a few questionable choices recently, and it’s time to see him back in form. Whether Marauders is the one to do that is still unknown. We’ll find out soon.

Marauders open July 1, 2016.