The Hurricane Heist

Story: A federal agent and meteorologist team up to stop a daring heist in the US Department of the Treasury as a hurricane threatens to destroy the area

Review: As a category 5 hurricane looms over the sleepy town of Gulfport, Alabama, residents are compelled to evacuate the area by local authorities. Meteorologist Will Rutledge (Toby Kebbell), who has been sent to collect reports on the approaching storm, is trying to convince his brother Breeze (Ryan Kwanten) to leave town with him. On the other hand, Agent Casey (Maggie Grace), who is in charge of transporting old currency notes to the US Department of the Treasury, is unaware that there has been a massive internal security breach. Using the hurricane as an opportunity to break into the treasury is a team of crooks, led by Agent Perkins (Ralph Ineson). As circumstances bring Will and Casey together, they have to not only figure out ways to stop $600 million from being taken out of the facility, but also save their own lives as the hurricane unleashes its fury and the bad guys threaten to kill them.
The script rarely gives you a moment to think beyond what you’re watching on screen. Director Rob Cohen does a good job of keeping the pace swift while most characters do justice to their roles. Grace stands out as the agent hell-bent on outwitting Perkins and his gang. Kebbell and Kwanten, as two brothers separated by a childhood tragedy, but still fond of each other, are interesting to watch as they rekindle their bond.
The action, though not outstanding, does its job while the special effects competently show the destruction the mighty hurricane is capable of. Thankfully, there is no forced romance between any of the characters — something that we’re often saddled with at the end in thriller flicks. Although predictable in some parts — the flashback at the start of the film in this case — you don’t mind overlooking it. Keeping in mind how several US states were in the news last year for being battered by a string of hurricanes, this film shows us just how devastating they can be. More than just a regular ‘save the earth’ film, this one combines an offbeat plot with some decent special effects to make it an interesting watch.