Before Vegas, one locksmith became a legend.|Oct. 29, 2021|Germany | United States|128 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Adventure;Crime;Fantasy;Thriller
Description: Six years before the events of “Army of the Dead,” Ludwig Dieter was a different person. Though not entirely lacking in confidence, he led a solitary life, immersed in his dreams of safe-cracking. Written by Shay Hatten, based on a story co-created with Zack Snyder, and directed by Matthias Schweighöfer, “Army of Thieves” shifts its tone and genre to suit its unconventional protagonist. While many might not care about the backstory of this eccentric character from Snyder’s zombie thriller, Hollywood continues to produce spin-offs, sequels, and prequels for any intriguing supporting figure. Does “Army of Thieves” justify its existence? Absolutely—it’s thoroughly enjoyable. The film is thrilling, heartfelt, and skillfully crafted, transforming an already interesting character into a remarkable lead.
Before becoming known as Ludwig, Sebastian Schlencht-Wöhnert was a lonely German man living a dull life as a bank teller. His passion lay in safes, particularly the legendary Hans Wagner safes, and he dreamed of cracking the four safes inspired by Norse mythology. In connection with “Army of the Dead,” Sebastian eventually succeeds in cracking the fourth safe after mastering the first three. “Army of Thieves” tells the story of how he achieved this and how these events led him to California, where he would be offered the chance to crack the Götterdämmerung in a zombie-infested Las Vegas. As with most prequels, the suspense is somewhat diminished by the audience’s knowledge of the protagonist’s fate. However, the film’s charm lies in the journey rather than the destination, thanks to Hatten’s writing and Schweighöfer’s direction.
Cast director: Matthias Schweighöfer
Cast actor: Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ruby O. Fee, Stuart Martin, Guz Khan, Jonathan Cohen, Noémie Nakai, Peter Simonischek, Trent Garrett, Jim High
Original name: Army of Thieves