A still from King Of Thieves (2018) Photo: Working Title Films
King of Thieves is a senior heist movie based on a real-life story and starring Sir Michael Caine, Sir Tom Courtenay and Jim Broadbent.
It's a well-established genre these days, what you might call the Old Folks Boogie, aimed at the lucrative Golden Age market… septuagenarian stars are put together to make either Senior Romantic Comedies' or Elderly Heist Movies.
They're profitable because they're not expensive to make. You don't need special effects. Mostly, these actors are special effects.
Certainly, that's the case with Sir Michael Caine, who's retained his Cockney, wide-boy edge into his eighties.
In King of Thieves, he plays real-life semi-retired criminal Brian Reader, at a loose end when his wife dies - a too-brief appearance by the still gorgeous Francesca Annis.
Brian's tempted into making one more killing - the jewellers' bank in Hatton Gardens - by a young friend called Basil.
Like any self-respecting heist movie, the first act of King of Thieves is devoted to putting together a team.
The team are mostly the usual suspects - long-time hard-man Ray Winstone as Danny, devious Tom Courtenay as Kenny, Michael Gambon as Billy the Fish, and one wild card, veteran comedy favourite Paul Whitehouse as Carl, responsible for providing the gear.
These geezers have been playing these parts for so long the only thing they need to rehearse is the characters' names.
But one actor is here to work - the always watchable Jim Broadbent, playing Brian's rival Terry. And Terry reminds us that these villains may be old, but they're not cuddly.
Having established the volatile mix of the Over the Hill Gang, Act Two is about the plan. Brian and his young apprentice Basil lead the team into the vault on a long weekend.
The team are a bit rusty - judging how big a hole will fit Ray Winstone's bulk proves a challenge - but the plan's a good one, once you've cracked the security code of the front door.
But as always in a heist movie, the human element is their downfall.
These people are, after all, crooks who've spent several lifetimes cheating their friends and neighbours.
And leading the palace coup, predictably, are the slippery Terry and Danny.
The events of King Of Thieves - the famous Hatton Gardens Diamond Heist - happened a mere three years ago, so it's astonishing the film was made in the time.
But it also robs the story of much in the way of surprise.
The phrase "the famous Hatton Gardens Diamond Heist" should give you a clue what happens.
It's well enough made, by former documentary director James Marsh, who made the Oscar-winning Theory of Everything.
But it reminds us that the bog-standard heist movie depends entirely on us loving the characters, not the actors.
The best things in the film are the action montages that intercut between the actors now, and in their heyday in films like Billy Liar, Scum and of course The Italian Job.
The nostalgic appeal of seeing some favourite actors working together wears off after the plot slips into the routine.
But that's real life for you.
