Army of Thieves is a prequel to last year’s Army of the Dead. The film is directed by Matthias Schweighofer, who also plays the main character, Sebastian, aka Ludwig Dieter. The film, released by Netflix, also stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Roby O. Fee, and Jonathan Cohen and is produced by Zack Snyder. Does this film seem to follow the success of Army of the Dead? The answer is clearly yes, but surprisingly Army of Thieves has many surprises, both story and esthetic.
The film’s plot takes place six years before the events of Army of the Dead, where a zombie outbreak for the first time appears in Las Vegas. This film tells the background of one crucial figure in the Army of the Dead, Ludwig Dieter, the expert safe-breaker. It is told that Sebastian (Schweighofer), real name Dieter, is obsessed with the classic safe made by the late Hans Wagner. Unexpectedly, a group of bank robbers, initiated by Gwendoline (Emmanuel), knows the three safes’ whereabouts and intends to break into them with the help of Sebastian. Sebastian did not refuse this tempting offer.
The plot is typical of the “bank robbery” crime genre. All the action is the same; the intrigue is the same, only the process is different. The difference, of course, is in the eccentric figure of Sebastian. Not only robbery, but the plot surprisingly also slips a touch of romance that is pretty sweet. This is thanks to Sebastian and Gwen’s intense chemistry, which captivates the two main characters. Inserts of humour are also presented with class in many moments, such as the figure of Brad Cage, whose name is inspired by two famous Hollywood stars and humour in many of its action moments. Even though we know what will happen to Sebastian, the plot can provide small surprises throughout the story. Army of Thieves from any side has a more classy script than Army of the Dead.
The aesthetic side of this film has many achievements that are considered very good. Several times the montage technique is presented very classily since the opening of the film. An exciting montage is presented in a “flash-forward” of the first safe-breaking action, ending with a humorous side that will make the audience laugh aloud. This series of montages seem to make fun of similar segments in many films that use similar techniques. Another notable achievement is a score, with Hans Zimmer listed as one of the composers. The touch of Zimmer and his partner this time was able to create a unique and energetic composition, far from the achievements of the composer’s Bond music recently. The technical achievements of this film are indeed slightly beyond expectations.
Army of Thieves has everything compared to its predecessor series, entertaining, strong characterizations, humour inserts, and a warm touch of romance even though the story is not difficult to predict. The script is different, where previously, all the characters were like zombies who didn’t have enough background to attract the audience’s sympathy. Now, our care is fully charged to Sebastian and Gwen. Army of Thieves is everything that should be in Army of the Dead. The skill of the filmmaker, Schweighofer, who also plays Sebastian, cannot be underestimated.