Rating: 3.5/5.0

Directed by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie

Rated R

Release Date: Feb. 27, 2015

It is always interesting to find yourself rooting for a criminal’s success, but it’s not a hard task when our criminals are Will Smith and Margot Robbie. One of the main things that the latest crime-comedy “Focus,” directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (“Crazy Stupid Love”), does right is exploiting its stars’ power. “Focus” is not a game changer, but the directors approach the conventions of the crime-comedy genre with surprising finesse, getting the most out of Smith and Robbie. Though the film won’t make anyone’s top-10 list, it is certainly an entertaining ride with some A-list stars.

In “Focus,” Smith is an experienced con-artist who knows every trick in the book. After a hilarious scene of Robbie trying to unsuccessfully rob Smith, she asks to become his apprentice, eager to learn from the best. Naturally, the two fall for each other, and in typical crime movie fashion, this leads to complications. During the first act, the audience, like Robbie, gets to learn the ins-and-outs of the conning world. We learn the clever techniques that Smith employs, we meet unique characters and we watch the masters of trickery at work. These are all things we have seen before, but the filmmakers manage to make deception and theft exciting. There are plenty of twists and reveals as well as a few tense moments that keep the story interesting.

“Focus” does, however, have some lackluster elements beneath its shiny exterior. The filmmakers cut some corners with the narrative, even in the detailed diagramming of the scams themselves. It’s all enjoyable, but “Focus” isn’t a film that engages you with its intricacy. The film has a heavy supply of the genre cliches of slippery billionaires, shiny cars and beautiful women, but they mostly all feel in place. Another staple of the con-artist film is the all-too-predictable twist: that everything was a trick the whole time. “Focus” comes up with a clever approach to its ending, though it is not as interesting as the filmmakers may have hoped. In this genre, the deal isn’t closed until the final scene, and “Focus” doesn’t quite deliver. Because of this and the fact that “Focus” isn’t particularly inventive, the film can’t be elevated to anything more than an entertaining romp.

A lot of the success of this film is due to the performances of the lead actors. Smith is, as always, very likeable and Robbie is of course incredibly hot. Robbie’s presence adds eye-candy to the film, which is generally flashy throughout. Smith brings charm to whatever film he is in, and his performance in “Focus” is the charismatic and suave Will Smith we all know and love. The interactions between Robbie and Smith are witty and believable, and there is definitely chemistry between the two characters. Their romance is not forced into the story just to serve as a plot point. It is convincing and resonates throughout the film.

In addition to being a solid crime film, “Focus” has some success as a comedy. Will Smith brings his comedic chops to the film and the writing of the film generally works with his comedic style. It is the combination of raunchy humor, performances and con-artistry that makes “Focus” a fun film to watch. None of the elements necessarily stand out, and you probably won’t remember this film several years from now, but the filmmakers do a good job of making this seemingly generic crime-comedy worth the price of admission.