On its release in the US, this bank-heist teen caper opened in a handful of cities seemingly selected at random - Austin, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle - only to go to DVD a couple of weeks later. It's not hard to see why with a plotline like this. Four high school friends decide to rob a bank on the morning of their graduation - it's almost a parody of a pitch line for one of Hollywood's myriad teen trauma dramas. One of the kids is desperate for $100,000 (a nice tidy sum of course) to throw a life-saving bone marrow transplant his mum's way. Another kid has the bank manager for her father (of course), whom she's presently a bit peeved at (of course).
So they enact a small-town, senior-year version of Mission: Impossible, which rides this succession of clichés and coincidences in an entertaining, if trash TV kind of way. The biggest test of this: halfway through I paused the DVD to meet a friend for dinner, but found myself distracted from the ramen and the conversation, wondering what was to happen to our fearless foursome. Then again, how much would you wager on the robbery turning out as planned? There's nothing here that an episode of The OC - and a mediocre one at that - didn't do back in the day. A final note of caution: if you're here to see some Huey Lewis, don't be fooled by the star billing. His is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance as a truck-driving stepfather.
afeshareki@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
