The big-screen journey of “Takers,” as recounted in a recent Los Angeles Times article, is a touching story. John Luessenhop was set to direct the heist film five years ago for Sony Screen Gems, but his son was stricken by a life-threatening illness and the director had to drop out. In one of Hollywood’s rare moments of kindness (”It’s a dry-ice town, baby,” Robert Evans famously remarked), studio president Clint Culpepper waited while Luessenhop dealt with his son’s medical issues. And so nearly half a decade later comes “Takers,” directed by John Luessenhop with a different cast, including Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen,Here’s a sampling of reviews:

“Elba possesses such a commanding presence that his glare goes a long way, but the rest of the cast members can’t do much with their roles, which offer scant motivation — even regarding the potential romance of pulling one grand job. Wearing two hats, Harris has done his producer self no favors by occupying a pivotal part with a performance that can at best be characterized as a one-note sneer.”

“To get a B-movie really rolling, there needs to be a real B-movie cast who can chew scenery with the best of them, easily aim a gun and drive cars with gusto. “Takers” has exactly that crew, and they help drive this heist thriller out of the basement even if it never hits the big score…Dillon’s turn is genre-specific but not at all phoned in; this New York State native, so familiar after 30 years in movies, was the only Oscar nominated for the Best Picture-winning “Crash” and can go from sneer to smirk in a heartbeat. Amidst the gangsta posing and some overly operatic shootouts, he helps give “Takers”