Marlon Brando used to be a very famous actor. Once an incredibly fit actor who appeared in such films as On The Waterfront, he gained years and weight, but still managed to pull off a second Oscar win for his role of Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Since then, he has wallowed in obscurity. Will The Score ressurect his career?

The Score is about Edward Norton and Marlon Brando convincing Robert DeNiro to do one last heist to steal some Royal Scepter from Canada.

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, the big plot twist is spoiled. I saw the trailer and was somehow still surprised by the plot twist, but Zack picked up on it right away.

The Score has pretty good acting throughout. Edward Norton basically plays two parts as an undercover retard and a bad-ass in Fight Club mode. Robert DeNiro gives a decent performance as usual, although it's sort of strange seeing him do a suspense movie after starring in two comedies (Meet the Parents and Analyze This). Marlon Brando does a pretty good job acting while managing to eat or drink something in just about every scene he's in. Angela Basset does an OK job in a part that's almost more of a cameo than a supporting part. Her character really isn't needed in this story...

I actually enjoyed the directing by Frank Oz (who also does the voice for Yoda), especially considering how little CG was used. Obviously, some CG was used in the computer scenes and for a part when something explodes, but the rest all seemed optical. The pace of the movie was a bit sluggish at times, but there wasn't any gaping plot holes or anything.

The Score is certainly better than a lot of the crap that's come out this summer, and it's one of the few movies that's not a sequel (Jurassic Park 3, Dr. Dolittle 2, Wild Wild West 2, etc.). If you like DeNiro or Norton, definitely see it in the theatres. If not, it will definitely make a decent rental.

I give The Score *** out of ****.

The Score was excellent, until the ending. The acting and the story was fantastic. The ending was about as predictable as Mat's chances of getting laid in the next year. (i.e. slim to none.) the trailer actually revealed the plot twist at the ending, but that was the only thing that bugged me about the movie. I also thought it was a little unrealistic, in the sense the Marlon Brando never ate a pastry. I refuse to believe that a two hour period ever goes by without Marlon Brando eating a pastry.

*** out of ****