Review: “30 Minutes or Less”

Coming off the success of his feature-film debut “Zombieland,” director Ruben Fleisher is back with “30 Minutes or Less.” The film follows Nick, a pizza deliveryman who is forced to rob a bank with a bomb attached to his chest, set to detonate in 10 hours. Behind the scheme is Dwayne, who needs $10,000 to pay for the assassination of his millionaire father so that he may reap the inheritance.

The flick tries hard to mix outrageous comedy with intense action, but fails to keep an even pace throughout, making it feel as if the filmmakers shot it after the first draft of the script had been completed.

Fleisher seems to lack an understanding of how to properly transition into the more dramatic moments. Further, while the cast works fairly well for the film, providing a handful of mildly clever jokes, the action is poorly executed: the fight scenes look like they were choreographed for a grade school production and not a major motion picture.

With “30 Minutes or Less,” Fleisher proves to have a decent visual style, but a poor sense of how to maintain a consistent tone throughout. It is a film with great potential, yet falls miles short of its intended mark.

Film:  “30 Minutes or Less”
Director:  Ruben Fleischer
Released:  Aug. 12, 2011
Rating:  ★ & 1/2 out of ★★★★★