Plunkett & Macleane

Plunkett & Macleane, with the "Danish" title Rob the Rich, is a fast-paced and dashingly handsome action adventure about the highwaymen Will Plunkett and James Macleane, who ply their trade in and around London in the mid-18th century.

Plunkett and Macleane could not be more different, but together they make the perfect partnership. The practical highwayman Plunkett comes from the lowest rungs of society, while the bankrupt charmer Macleane is used to moving among society's elite.

Macleane is kitted out so that he can live the sweet life, while at the same time picking out the next victim. One of them is Lord Gibson, with whose lovely daughter Lady Rebecca Macleane unfortunately falls in love. Yet it is absolutely essential that the pair keep a cool head, for the ruthless Chance and his men are hunting them day and night.

When Chance learns what Macleane's weak spot is, he is not shy of exploiting it, and the result is not long in coming: Macleane lands in prison with a death sentence hanging over his head. Plunkett has got away, and the question is whether he is willing to risk his life to save his unlucky partner.

There is no denying that the film's deft director Jake Scott is Ridley Scott's son, for like his father he has a penchant for the flashy and the too-clever-by-half, as expressed for instance in the film's anachronistic techno music. Whether or not you care for this postmodern spectacle may well be a matter of age.