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Stars: John Travolta, Gina Gershon, Lukas Haas
Director: Randall Emmett
Distributor: 101 Films

“Just protecting my family.”

A direct-to-video sequel to a direct-to-video film… The stakes are higher, but are the standards lower? Absolutely not! High Rollers is a fun ride from start to finish in full embracement of its status.

Opening with a beachside wedding that soon gets interrupted, Mason Goddard (John Travolta) and his crew find themselves captured, with his wife Amelia (Gina Gershon) taken hostage. For Mason to get his wife back from the sleazy grips of his nemesis, Salazar (Danny Pardo), he and his crew, featuring the likes of his brother Shawn (Lukas Haas) and Hector (Noel Gugliemi who plays Hector in every film), are tasked with infiltrating the Scarlet Pearl Hotel and Casino, and acquiring possession of the contents within a safe hidden away in the penthouse suite.

The challenge sees Mason and co. assume rogue identities, surpass armed guards, avoid the FBI, take all the risks, gamble everything except their cover, and ultimately find themselves in possession of both the safe contents, and ultimately, Amelia. Plenty of action, tense moments, close-calls, and smart suits ensue. Can John Travolta’s Mason Goddard pull this one off?

Though we would love to see Travolta on the big screen more often, he seems to be vibing and thriving in the world of DTV. From the likes of Moose in The Fanatic to reprising the role of heist chief, Mason Goddard, in High Rollers, Travolta – for now at least – has found a niche that is seemingly working for both himself and his fans. Even if it means leading the line in an Ocean’s throwback.

In the last decade, the heist film has reached the dizzy heights of some later Fast & Furious installments, a more specialist form in that of Now You See Me, and of course, the old-fashioned DTV heists with that of Cash Out and its sequel, High Rollers. This is a film that not only understands the formula, but excels in doing so.

Certainly, and inevitably, there are parallels with Ocean’s Eleven. Any casino heist movie will have that comparison. The issue is that the 2001-release Ocean’s Eleven is not only a great remake, but it’s one of the coolest, slickest, all-star films of this century. It’s a great product of its time, therefore, any tribute act will have a lot of work to do. High Rollers doesn’t attempt to be as fantastic, but attempts to be just as fun. That’s the important part. A fun story, cool twists, and tense action, High Rollers takes no gambles, but delivers.

A DTV follow-up to a DTV film can be an indication that the initial predecessor was good enough in quality and financial returns to warrant a sequel. From Seagal’s Black Dawn, the countless Rise of the Footsoldier sequels, and now High Rollers joins that list. Ideally, this is a film tailored to fans of either Travolta or heist movies, specifically that of casino heists. This one certainly knows its audience and excels with it. Ultimately, Randall Emmett’s High Rollers is an embodiment of the phrasing, says what it is on the tin. Roll on Cash Out 3.