With all of the bad media attention that banks have gotten in the wake of the financial crisis, you wouldn't be crazy to think that maybe we the people should try to take some of their ill-gotten gains back. And what better way to do so than an old-fashioned bank robbery? In this article, we'll spotlight the absolute greatest bank robbers in movie history, with special attention paid to their planning. We're not saying this is a how-to, mind you. Whatever you do with this information is all on you.
The Best Bank Robbers
You think you have what it takes to pull a bank job? Take some time to study these fictional bank robbers and you might change your mind. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.
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By K. Thor Jensen March 8, 2012 |
Credit: Warner Bros. Ent.
| 12 | Doug MacRay |
Charlestown, MA is known for its criminals, and Doug MacRay is among the best the Boston neighborhood has to offer. MacRay and his crew went on a robbing spree in the city and was almost always a step ahead of the authorities keeping a close watch on him. There's something especially messed up about having a bunch of nuns pointing a gun at your face, too. Even when his plan falls apart and his friends are slaughtered one by one, he keeps it cool and ends up living a life we can only dream about. The Town was just re-released with an Ultimate Collection box set and it has a completely different ending. We won't ruin the surprise for you, though.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
| 11 | The Joker |
There's no way this list would be complete without the bank heist from The Dark Knight. The awesome thing about this scene is how well it establishes who the Joker is with minimal dialogue. From the beginning, the Clown Prince of Crime is dealing in misinformation - his crew doesn't even know he's coming along on the job, and one by one he manipulates his subordinates into taking each other out, leaving nobody to get flipped by the cops. Even his escape plan is flawless. If this was the only crime he ever committed, the Joker would still be one of the best bank robbers of all time.
Credit: Seven Arts
| 10 | Andre Stander |
Let's clear the air real quick: not many of the robbers on this list are going to be based on real people. But for every rule, there's an exception, and Captain Andre Stander is it. Thomas Jane starred in Stander, a 2003 biopic about his life, and if you haven't seen it you're in for a master class in bank robbery. Stander got away with robbing nearly 30 South African banks throughout the 1980s with one weird trick: he was a cop. Donning a disguise, he would rob banks on his lunch break, and then come back with other cops to investigate the crime. That's badass.
Point Break
| 9 | Bodhi |
One of the essential personality traits for successful bank robbing is the ability to stay cool under pressure. Perhaps the best example of this ability is Bodhi from Point Break. As played by Patrick Swayze, the surfer turned crime syndicate ringleader has the heist down to a science, donning rubber ex-President masks and filling up satchels of cash. Even the FBI can't slow his roll, and in the end of the flick he goes out doing what he does best: ripping the curl.
Credit: Cinevideo
| 8 | Grimm |
What is it with clowns and crime? I guess if you had to prance around in baggy pants for screaming brats all day you'd want to cash out quick too. The second face-painted bank robber on our list is Grimm from the classic heist movie Hold-Up. As played by the legendary Jean-Pierre Belmondo, Grimm is trying to pull one last job, and his unpredictability not only bamboozles the cops, but the victims as well. Unfortunately, things start to go south for Grimm after he leaves the bank. Remade in America as Quick Change, with Bill Murray in the lead role.
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