The Code, or Thick As Thieves as it's known on DVD in some regions, is pretty much just Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas strutting their way through a B-grade, R-rated Ocean's Eleven. It's second tier stuff, but it has one hell of a cast and enough serpentine twists and betrayals to keep the viewer interested. Freeman plays a slick master burglar, recruiting Banderas' younger thief to pull off one of those 'impossible' heists that requires all kinds of over elaborate planning and stylish execution. This is all in order to pay an outstanding debt to the Russian mob in the form of dangerous Rade Serbedzija, aka Boris the Blade, aka Boris the Bullet Dodger, who has a few surprising secrets of his own. All of them are also hounded by a classically dogged detective (Robert Forster, intensely excellent) and his rookie partner, who of all people is played by Tom Hardy in a role so small and random I'd love to hear the tale behind his casting. There's also an obligatory love interest for Antonio, played by leggy Radha Mitchell. Now, it's all mostly as pedestrian as it sounds, except for a few garnishing touches that elevate it just enough that it sticks in your memory. The master thief. The Ahab-esque cop. The vicious Eastern European gangster. The love triangle. Backstabbing. These are all ancient archetypes that have been done quite literally to death, and they're all present and accounted for here, but there's a few moments that genuinely surprise and break feee of that somewhat. Revelations involving the Russian who isn't what he appears to be, a third act twist that feels welcome, and snares of dialogue that snap our attention amidst the clichés. For what it is, it does its job well enough, and a few times shows actual inspiration. Not bad at all.

I can barely think of anything that made this movie special, and yet, I still had fun watching it. For me the plot was very entertaining even though it wasn't very great. The most I liked the little twist in the movie. I have to admit, it surprised me. While the movie had an extremely boring story in the beginning, it improved a lot after that twist. In the end Banderas looked like a loser, yet Hollywood managed to end the movie with a (almost) typical Hollywood ending. (Kind of interesting.)Banderas, nor Freeman have been exactly bad, yet, they couldn't convince me in their role as master thieves. The dialogs haven't been exactly great, yet, they managed to entertain me. Visually the movie was uninteresting. The action was pretty much non-existent. (So don't expect an action movie!) Still, the movie wasn't as bad as many other writers claimed here. There are way less inspired, less creative, more cliché- ridden and boring movies made in Hollywood these days.

Like a B movie with most absurd scenario. In this movie was a lot of scenes not connected to each other. Written by different persons or children. Ex. non movie related old people sex scenes, old man hackers, stupid guards, impenetrable vault you can get in less than 20 min., absurd get in method, even absurder get out method. Bad Russian language even for sides. Freeman twisted plan was actually really stupid reminded me situation where you throw a bomb on yourself and then try to survive.All thru movie a was hoping it would be over soon. I'm disappointed Banderas and Freeman agreed to participate in this movie. Have some dignity men.

Three stars is the best I could muster for this movie. The acting was OK, the directing was crap and the plot was the worst. I saw this in Hughes Theater as a screener and they stopped us for Q&A. Right of the bat the movies had goofs and there were a lot of spoilers from the start. The name was undecided hence the 2 name title, and the climax was very very disappointing. What makes the movie so horrible is that it does not have a follow path and the sexual scene is not needed at all. In the end the entire heist were for some Fabergé eggs that were older than the actual Fabergé eggs. Actual meaning that the eggs were made of wood and wood carvings. One scene in particular I was disappointed in is when they have to enter the vault to get the heist...well I will let you go through it yourself.