While Hollywood has offered an endless amount of heist films to the point where originality doesn't exist with new films, 'Takers' works because of its solid pace and action scenes, including one chase sequence that will have the audience rooting for both the cops and robbers.

With a multi-racial cast that includes Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Tip "T.I." Harris, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, Zoe Saldana, and Jay Hernandez, there are plenty of attractive names to lure audiences from all sides.

Set in downtown Los Angeles, Gordon (played by Elba) leads a group of sophisticated criminals into pulling heist jobs where there is no bloodshed or deaths. Everything is planned in advanced so that no trace is left behind. When they start counting their latest take, there's plenty of money for Jake (played by Ealy) to finance his club, propose to his girlfriend (played by Saldana) and buy his incarcerated father a house with his younger brother Jesse (played by Brown).

Just when the crew is enjoying the fruits of their labor, former partner Ghost (played by rapper T.I) shows up on the scene after being released early from prison. Ghost quickly gets back in the game by telling the gang he's hooked up with some Russians on a major heist, and wants Gordon and the gang to get in on the action. As Jake, John (played by Walker) and A.J (played by Christensen) ponder over the level of difficulty in pulling this job off, Ghost is quick to remind them that it was he and Gordon who put this crew together, and feels they owe him one since he never ratted them out when he got caught. Plus, Gordon is still holding on to his earnings from that last job.

Meanwhile, Detective Jake (played by Dillon) and Eddie (played by Hernandez), who are avoiding internal affairs from a previous matter, are just a few steps behind from catching Gordon and company from pulling the ultimate heist.

Borrowing scenes from 'Heat,' 'True Romance,' 'Reservoir Dogs,' and other films, co-writer/ actor Gabriel Casseus ('New Jersey Drive'), with three other writers, bring no originality to the mix. At times, the operatic music used in key scenes are overkill and nauseating. Nevertheless, what the filmmakers lack in storyline and acting, they make up with style and action. It's the perfect popcorn film to end the summer season.

Both Chris Brown and T.I., despite their off-screen legal issues, brought in some finesse to their characters. While T.I was amusing and charismatic in his role, Brown steals the film with his parkour sequence. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

Veteran actors Dillon and Elba, using his British accent, balanced the fast paced film with their individual storylines, while Oscar nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste ('Secrets and Lies'") is also a welcome relief to the male testosterone caper.

Some may question the lack of screen time for Saldana, but the film was shot before both 'Star Trek' and 'Avatar' were released in theaters and she became an actress in demand.

Overall, 'Takers' is an effective summer first rate entertainment.