Just because it is a quintessential Hollywood film doesn't automatically mean its crap. So what's it about? Four guys go into a New Yorker Bank and take hostages. The Police arrives and waits outside for them. A cat and mouse game begins and lots of twists happen from now on. Who wants to play for time? The police, the bank robber, or both?

Director, Spike Lee, mainly concentrates on crafting a story but also leaves space for developing characters. His aren't simply black and white stereotypes, with even smaller roles being well developed.

So you get solid Hollywood entertainment which is worth its money, a really good story, good actors, funny dialogues that make the plot go further, and lots of nice details like the dialogue of the bank robber (a cool Clive Owen) talking about love with his opponent, the police officer (Denzel Washington).

The film also touches upon themes like the treatment of Arabs in NY after 9-11, New York's multiculturalism, the Third Reich, and guilt.

It is a quite long film, but it doesn't feel so long, two hours of tension without one dead body! If you liked this film go to the video shop and borrow "25th hour" or "Malcolm X" from the same director.