Money Plane (2020)

Money Plane, a low-budget action movie released in 2020, features professional wrestler Adam “Edge” Copeland as Jack Reese, a former gambler who now steals paintings. Or something. That’s how we’re introduced to the character along with his “crew.” They’re trying to break into a warehouse to steal a painting for Darius “The Rumble” Grouch (Kelsey Grammer.) Grouch apparently owns Reese’s hefty gambling debt and uses this influence to get Reese to commit crimes for him.

When the painting heist goes sideways, Grouch promises to free Reese from his debt once and for all if he commits one huge job for him. Reese must rob the “Money Plane,” a high-stakes casino based on a jet that flies in international airspace so its passengers can bet on illegal activities. If Reese fails this mission, Grouch will kill his wife, Sarah (Denise Richards,) and his daughter. So, Reese and his crew — Isabella (Katrina Norman,) Trey (Patrick Lamont Jr.,) and Iggy (Andrew Lawrence) — receive their cover stories and their plan of attack. They board the plane intent on grabbing the casino’s cash, downloading cryptocurrency from its servers, and parachuting to safety before anyone knows what’s happened. But, it wouldn’t be much of a movie if things went according to plan, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not much of a movie anyway. With somnambulistic performances from everyone except Kelsey Grammer, Money Plane is a snoozer. Grammer, cast against type as a foul-mouthed gang boss, gleefully chews up the scenery. But he’s the only real highlight. Thomas Jane receives a top credit but he shows up for three minutes tops. Denise Richards stopped by the set to portray Reese’s wife and the mother of his child in two brief scenes. Katrina Norman’s Isabella has a bit of spunk but she’s overshadowed by the script’s witless dialogue.

For an action movie, Money Plane couldn’t be any duller. At no time did I ever feel a tinge of suspense or tension. The hand-to-hand combat is as lifeless as the exchanges of CGI-generated gunfire. It doesn’t help that the film looks as if the majority of it was all shot in the same warehouse.

The movie’s worst sin, however, is that the main plot makes absolutely no sense. Not just bits of it. The entire story is based on broken logic. However, some of the much more interesting subplots — including one of Reese’s crew going on a winning streak while trying to keep a low profile — are tossed aside once they have served their main purpose of padding the already short running time.

Although it was released during the COVID pandemic when audiences were starved for new films, Money Plane doesn’t deserve to be cut any slack. It feels like a slapped-together knock off of Ocean’s Eleven on a plane. Skip it.