After the Sunset (2004)

Let's be realistic.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Feel good heist movie with former James Bond Pierce Brosnan and the ever gorgeous Salma Hayek. It really is a beach variant of Oceans Eleven: add sunshine, cocktails, tropcical islands and you have got the ingredients of "After the Sunset". Seen it many times now and it is the ideal popcornmovie and datemovie. Feels like a throwaway but it actually has got a solid and surprising funny story. Acting is great. Soundtrack great. Sunny beaches are lovely. And so is Salma Hayek. Just dream away and have a good laugh while watching it. Lovely heist comedy. Smaller endnote: the soundtrack copied some themes from the Bourne movies and even from the classical composer Gorecki. But that's just insider fun.

Awful Pierce Brosnan-Woody Harrelson film where Brosnan and girlfriend Selma Hayak retire to the Jamaica Islands after a career of stealing. They're pursued by agent Harrelson, who apparently has more on his mind than capturing Brosnan.Brosnan twice traps Harrelson in a sealed car at the film's beginning and end.Harrelson does steal the movie here with his devilish ways and is a sight to be seen.The picture is basically done in by some very bad writing. It can become confusing at times;especially, when Don Cheadle enters as a local gangster who tries to coax Brosnan into stealing a Napoleon diamond.There is some interesting under the water scenes in a rather dull, tedious production.

Pierce Brosnan and Selma Hayak star in "After the Sunset," a 2004 movie directed by Brett Ratner and also starring Woody Harrelson and Don Cheadle.Brosnan is Max, a diamond thief who retires to Paradise Beach in the Bahamas with his girlfriend Lola (Hayak) after his final success, the second of three Napoleon diamonds. He got the first one, too. In his wake he made a fool of an FBI agent Stanley (Harrelson) who was carrying the second diamond under guard. Stanley is so angered and freaked out that he's put on suspension. However, no one on Paradise Island knows that. He shows up on the island just as a ship displaying the Napoleon III diamond pulls into port. When Max steals it, he plans to be ready for him.And Max is under some heavy pressure to do just that. He's visited by the biggest gangster on the island (Cheadle) who wants Max to steal the diamond for him so he can build a paramilitary installation in place of the children's hospital he demolished. Lola, on the other hand, doesn't want Max even contemplating coming out of retirement.Entertaining film in the kind of movie that USA Network used to produce years ago - it's a lighthearted movie with beautiful scenery, beautiful people, lots of romance, and a derivative story told in an interesting way.The only problem with this film is that, without Brosnan and Hayak, this could be a TV movie for Lifetime. It's not special enough to stand on its own.This is the type of film that makes a great rental but one you might not have wanted to pay $10 or $12 to see. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable.

THE GOOD - (1) A very colorful film, with wonderful bright colors from the Bahamas scenery; (2) an interesting story right from the get-go; (3) originality in the story; and (4) yes, to be honest, Hayak's figure, which is seen in abundance throughout the film. She knows it's good and isn't shy about showing it, and (5) overall a good mixture of crime, comedy, romance and suspense and just right amount of time at just under 100 minutes.THE BAD - (1) Insulting gratuitous sex and really stupid sexual dialog at times; (2) once again subversive Hollywood making the FBI character a moron, for the most part; (3) some Rambo mentality (bad guys miss from close range, good guys never miss, etc.).It's an outlandish story but don't analyze it for credibility or you'd be turned off and quit after 10 minutes. Just go along for the ride and enjoy the entertainment....and entertaining it is!