Watching Tom Hanks in the eccentric remake The Ladykillers is akin to watching community theater, where part of the thrill is seeing your third-grade teacher or mailman pretend to be someone he's not. Don't get me wrong: Hanks is a hoot as Goldthwait Higginson Dorr III, Ph.D., the conniving Southern professor determined to orchestrate the heist of all heists. The two-time Oscar winner dresses like a 19th-century Tom Wolfe and giggles like a Looney Toon, but the best part is being aware throughout that it's Tom Hanks behind that devilish goatee. While even a remake is bound to have an original slant in the hands of the Coens, the brothers play this one relatively safe, exercising their proven formula of quirky characters and a thematic soundtrack.
EXTRAS The paltry selection lacks commentary or a making-of doc, but gospel performances might interest aficionados.
