“Crime 101” was a serious letdown. From the story to the unrealistic setting, it all just fell flat. I would seriously recommend potential viewers to spend their time doing anything else.

Based on the trailers and summary many would expect “Crime 101” is an exciting action filled movie, where a master thief teams up with an insurance broker to do the heist of the century while being pursued by a detective. In reality, it is a dialogue heavy slog that leaves viewers wondering how a movie with this much star power ended up being such a disaster.

With celebrities like Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo attached to the project ,it would be unfair to put the blame on them. British filmmaker Bart Layton, known for his previous works “The Imposter” and “American Animals” wrote and directed this film. While I am not familiar with his earlier projects, his work on “Crime 101,” is a black mark on his record.

The acting was great. Hemsworth’s American accent as main character Mike Davis (real name James) was a little jarring to hear from the Australian actor, but he did a solid job portraying such a mysterious man. The issue with the film was not the cast. Each actor delivered their lines with confidence that was the only highlight of the film.

Some of the dialogue, however, was exhausting. Scenes spoon fed viewers with basic information they could have gotten from context clues. I distinctly recall scenes that dragged on where two different characters expressed that Davis was such a “mysterious” man. 

The world of the film  just felt off. Most of the crimes in the film go unnoticed by civilians. For a heist movie, viewers might expect a heavy cop presence, but we only get to see around three. Looking back, “Crime 101” makes Los Angeles feel more like a ghost town.

The camera work was one of the better things. During the chase scenes, it was clear where much of the production went. My only gripe is that there weren’t enough of these scenes. The film was promoted as action-packed, but the action didn’t get started until halfway through.

The end of “Crime 101” was just so dissatisfying, it would not be surprising if it led audiences to want more or even regret watching it at all. Overall if you are planning to see “Crime 101” this month, I would highly recommend watching something else. Despite the cast and premise, this was one of the worst movies I have seen this decade.