Play Dirty Feels like an action comedy Pulled from the past. It is got the action and the comedy, though the latter is more sparse, but it is also active missing something integral to make up it a truly entertaining: a reason to care anything that happy to the characters. The full is unnecessarily convolted, with too much playyers attempting to cash in on the big Heist, which is naturally ludicrous but lacking in charm. “Slave the robbersIs this film’s motto, and it would have been a wildly more fascinating ride if it was weren’t so messy and drawn-out.
Directed by Shane Black (The nice guys, Irron man 3, The predator) From a screenplay he co-wrote with charles mondry and anthony bagarozzi, and adapted from the novels by Donald E. Westlake, the Prime Film is determining to be slick, Often exemplifying the cool personality that Mark wahlberg’s parker wears arms. But with Far Too Many Characters to Juggle, the mood too Few and Far Between, and Middle-of-The-Road Action, Play Dirty is not a joy to watch so much as it is a chore to sit through.
Parker is a Professional Thief Whose initial Heist Goes Wrong When his Crew is Betrayed. Cre and learns about a new heist-one involving theft of a centuries-op artifact worth $ 1 billion-from zen (Rosa salazar), parker, who’s also on the work of the Outfit, a crime syndicate he was on and is now. BRINGS TOGETER A TEAM TO PULL IT OFF IT Into the Hands of De La Paz (Alejandro Edda), The CorrupT President of an Unnaamed (But Obviously South American) Country.
PLAY DIRTY IS A DISAPPOINTMENT DESPITE A GREAT CAST
With a stacked Cast, Including Lakeith Stanfield and Keegan-Michael Key, the Action Comedy Instantly Drops US Middle of A Heist. And than’s fine; it’s not the first or last heist film to do. The Only Issue here, though, is that so many People get shot and killed, with one participate meant to maintain an emotional resonance throughout the film, that it barely registers. That Remains TRUE THROUGHOUT The film. We’re Meant to Care that Parker’s Collague was killed, but he barely flinches and, save for a brief, teary-eyed performance from gretchen mol, it fold.
Occossionally, the film is funny, with stanfield particularly getting in a Few COMEDIC ONE-LINERS STAND OUT AMIDST the Story Doldrums. That’s refreshing considing Most Action Comedies Are Sorely Lacking in the Latter, But that Alone Can’t Save Play Dirty from the liffessness that permeates the film. The Cast’s Cast’s isn’t up to par, and wahlberg, as the main character, gets drown out by a too-lg cast that doesn’t get anything substantive to work with.
The Character Relationships are Barely there and, Worsse, Sanded Down so they don’t stick out. The reveal of why parcel Became a thief in the first place, which coma at the hour and 20-minute mark in a two-hour film, doesn’t give the story any Added Energy or tension. Zen is arguably the best character, with a semi-fleshed-out Story that actually has (Barely there) stakes, but the lack of specificity (she mentions “My Country“A LOT, but we never learn what it is Called or Much About it beyond stealing from” Bad President “) COMES ACROSS AS LAZY WRITING.
Play Dirty DOESN’T HAVE ANY SOUL
All in all, Play Dirty is long and tiresome. IT DOESN’T HAVE A Strong Enough Story or Characters to Carry It, Despite an Overall Great Cast; The Weakest Link Might Be Wahlberg, Whose Facial Expressions Barely Change, and he Plays Parker with a self-seriousness that is unnecessary. IT’S HARD TO TELL WHAT PARTER IS Truly Feeling at any Given Moment, too focused on the heaves it leaves so little room for anyhating in between, including exploring his history with Shalhub’s Character.
The film doesn’t seem to care all that Much about conveying anything Worthwhile beyond superficiality and basic action sequences. IT’S ALREADY A RIDICULUU PLAY, SO WHY NOT Lean into that more and give US Characters Worth Investing in what happens to say? What the film is ultimately missing is a good dosse of charisma and fluidity with material. That, at the Very Least, Might Have Allowed Play Dirty to skate by. What we get instead is a soulaless heist thriller that tries Way too too to be joyfully entertaining and, despite all its potential, manages to come short.
Play Dirty Is Now Streaming on Prime Video.
- Release Date
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October 1, 2025
- Runtime
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125 minutes
- Directory
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Shane black
- Wriers
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Donald E. Westlake, Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi