Army of Thieves review: Zack Snyder drops Army of the Dead Easter eggs and it aligns with the film almost perfectly

3.5/5

Story:

Ludwig Dieter is a safecracker who played one of the most important roles in the Army of the Dead. Despite being a coward and funny character, he is the reason why an important person from the group is alive. Zack Snyder's Army of Thieves explores his story before the big task while also revealing how the German got the unique name.

Review:

A big pro for Army of Thieves is that it has Army of the Dead to fall back on. Thanks to that, Zack Snyder fills the film with Easter eggs on what happened to Sebastian (Ludwig Dieter) in Army of the Dead and how did he get there. Staying true to his signature style, Zack brings a cinematic marvel on screen. While his story is not always at the forefront (which is also the case with Army of Thieves), he brings in other elements like editing, cinematography and music that make you forgive the comparatively weaker storyline.

On paper, Army of Thieves is nothing but the story of how a nerd named Sebastian/Ludwig Dieter met a group of people who slowly but steadily helped build his confidence to face the world. However, with the background of Army of the Dead and Zack's knack for showing a visual marvel, Army of Thieves becomes a pretty good watch.

Matthias Schweighofer aka Sebastian (who was known as Ludwig Dieter in Army of the Dead) commences the film and he gets into the character instantly. The reality of his name is also explored in the film later and it is heartwarming.

Zack Snyder's commercial elements - use of slow-mo, intense music, the story playing in the background and amazing visuals - come to play. Soon, there are Army of the Dead references, including the safe, which will make you nostalgic. The 'Mr. Nervous Guy' (Sebastian) is faced with competition within the first 10 minutes of the film. Thus, you know that he will have to keep up throughout the film, while always being pitted against someone.

Nathalie Emmanuel as Gwendoline has a great introduction. Of course, it is as much filmy and dramatic as Zack can get. Her complicated story is explained well but it is still tough to wrap your head around it. The film is more feminist than what was shown in the promos. Nathalie, in action especially, is one of the best parts of the film. In that aspect, Beatrix (Noemie Nakai) is a strong person and quite a surprise too.

Sebastian's comical moments as always are beautiful. He lives his whole life behind the doors and Zack has brought that out perfectly, especially in the scene where he and the viewers relive the Army of The Dead nightmare. His nervous nature is so intact that even in action, he is hilarious.

His moments with Gwendoline are so intense they raise the excitement level. Their bond grows into something great and meaningful.

Sebastian's time with the Wagner's Ring Cycle is but creepy. While Zack probably tried to show it as hilarious, there is a split second that makes you cringe and that is enough to disturb you. The technical part though (opening of the locks), like always, is a marvel.

Bly Tanaka comes back to the franchise and with that, you know trouble is on the way. His presence, however, is limited to a photo. Dave Bautista, instead, has a cameo of sorts in the film.

Brad (Stuart Martin) has a change in character. While he tries hard to portray the switch in a dignified manner, the actor succeeds only halfway.

Army of Thieves goes off-track at many places. It, of course, suffers at the hands of dramatisation, especially where Matthias or Nathalie aren't involved.

Although the cat-and-mouse chase gets interesting at places, it is still pretty predictable. There is an Easter egg in the film about how Sebastian died at the hand of zombies in Army of the Dead. It is these moments that make up for what the film lacks.

The vault that changed Sebastian's life also plays a major role in the Army of Thieves and not in the way that you would expect it to. Knowing the nerves of the viewers, Zack ends the film as a cinematographic marvel.

How a locksmith named Richard Wagner played a major role in Sebastian's life is explored beautifully. Their lives also come along marvellously, for Richard's final phase also becomes Sebastian's final phase (death at the hand of zombies after opening the vault). With that, the story of Sebastian comes to a full circle. However, it leaves the thirst to find out more about Gwendoline's life and why she is presented as the mysterious woman throughout the movie.

Verdict:

If you are a fan of Zack Snyder films, watch Army of Thieves. If you want to have fun, then watch the movie. While Matthias promises a whole lot of entertainment through his antics, Natalie is a delight to watch because of her action. They both, along with Zack's style of direction, make Army of Thieves a good watch.