Rating: 
Summary: Not one of Woody's Best
Review: The film starts with a fantastically comical premise, but soon after starts to lilt. The script needed a little more crafting, especially editing, to maintain a rapid pace in the story line. It probably could be viewed as a sequel to Take the Money and Run.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, But Not Vintage Woody
Review: Woody Allen is in fine form in this uneven comedy that features a fabulous cast (typical for an Allen film)including Tracy Ullman, Hugh Grant, Jon Lovitz, Elaine Stritch and Elaine May. Lower class con artists (Allen & Ullman) strike it rich, lose it all and find one another all over again in this goofy romantic comedy. Ullman is particularly fine as the brassy, uncouth wife who falls prey to Grant's slithering opportunistic rich boy. Elaine May, however, walks away with the film as Ullman's daffy, kind hearted sister, May. This is nowhere nearly as good as Allen's previous work, but it's still fun with many stand out moments that are worth the price of a Blockbuster rental.
Rating: 
Summary: A failed attempt at change
Review: Woody Allen has made a career - a rather successful one - out of variations on a theme. That theme usually centers around the same style of intellectual, neurotic character, more often than not played by Allen himself. In Small Time Crooks, he breaks out of that mold to play an incompetent, immoral, blue-collar criminal. This isn't entirely new territory for Allen. It was done rather successfully in the character of Virgil Starkwell in Take The Money And Run. This, however, was in one of his "earlier, funnier" films, where a shoestring plot served to hold together a series of hilarious gags like a misspelled hold-up note. In Small Time Crooks, Allen tries to moralize. He's done it successfully in the past, but this time, it results in a rare failure. The acting and directing, though somewhat flat, aren't to blame. The script, however, falls short of achieving its lofty goals. There are underlying themes of "money corrupts," "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," "money can't buy happiness," and other horrendous clichés. But simply put, this film has no heart. You'll laugh - don't get me wrong - but you won't come out of this film with the usual sense of satisfaction that Allen's films have brought in the past. There are many, many better Woody Allen films to spend your money on.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT, BUT STILL VERY FUNNY
Review: An ex-con (played wonderfully by Woody Allen), has a get rich quick scheme, and all it will involve is an empty store next door to a bank, a couple of other cons', and the help of his manicurist wife (the always funny Tracey Ullman). The plan is simple...set up a cookie shop and have your wife run it (because she makes the BEST cookies, this serves as a big part in the plot), while you and the other bumbling crooks are digging a hole in the basement, a hole that will lead to the bank, and to the biggest heist you have ever pulled off. "Small Time Crooks" is a very funny movie. It starts off with the bank heist plan (the digging in the basement contains some of the biggest laughs in this movie), and then in an unexpected twist shows that crime doesn't pay. The movie then goes into the study of Allen and Ullman struggling to deal with their new found wealth and each other. In his funniest film in years, Woody Allen has assembled a great cast; Hugh Grant, John Lovitz, Michael Rappaport, George Grizzard, Tony Darrow, and Elaine May in the outrageously funny role of the dim-witted cousin. Anyone looking for a good laugh riot will enjoy this...and you don't have to be an Allen fan. Nick Gonnella
Rating: 
Summary: Allen's first total failure
Review: I am a huge Woody Allen fan, and have not disliked any of his movies until now. While some of his more recent films have been shoddily paced, and have felt generally underwritten and rushed, I was not prepared for this embarrassment. First of all, anything you've heard about "Small Time Crooks" being like his "earlier, funny" movies is a HUGE exaggeration, and is, in fact, dead wrong. Now, his earlier, funny movies are not my favourite Allen films, so that certainly doesn't bother me, but I'm just warning you. Whereas "Bananas" or "Sleeper" have one foot (or even both) in absurdism, this film takes place in the real world--or, I should say, Allen's out of touch view of the real world, although this real world is lightened up to fit the tone of movie. But you won't see Allen addressing the camera, Allen becoming dictator of San Marcos or stuck 200 years in the future trying to save a nose. The humour in those earlier movies is a healthy dose of absurdism and intellectualism, and was almost always self-deprecating. Here, Allen gets his laughs, as is not uncommon in his recent films, at the expense of stupid or uncultured people, which is fine, I don't care, except for the fact that it ceases to be funny after one minute. But the worst part of this is that Allen cannot commit to doing a light film, so he's gotta throw in one of his five philosophies on life, and base the whole movie around that. This time it's something like "money doesn't buy happiness," and maybe a few other worn-out observations are thrown in here and there. These observations are not expressed in any intelligent, coherent or subtle way, however, and we're forced to sit through a bunch of undeveloped plotlines until we reach the predictable ending. One of these plotlines, the Pygmalion one, involves Hugh Grant as a conniving art dealer. Allen makes the mistake of letting us know right away that he intends to cheat Ullman out of her money, and we're forced to sit through an hour of predictable scenes between her and Grant, waiting for the bomb to drop on her. This movie is so boring and tedious, and at 90 minutes, that is quite a feat. And this movie is so dated! I mean, the reason I like Allen's films is because they're old-fashioned, and have the sensibilities of older, European films that I like. But this time, Woody seems like a two hundred year old man who just doesn't know what's going on in the world around him. This script was probably written 35 years ago. Even his usual use of jazz music seems slighly off and uninspired; he's famous for his long takes, but the cinematography here, despite the nice colours, is so bland and adverse to the comedy. None of the acting is particularly good (not even Ullman). Then you have lines like "now that they've got those new Walkmans." New Walkmans? They've been around for 20 years, Woody. Just because Soon-yi has one and you don't, doesn't mean they're some new fad. As mentioned by a previous reviewer, "Small Time Crooks," like some other Allen films, steals from some other movies. The reviewer obviously hasn't seen "Larceny Inc," written by Allen's comic hero S.J. Perleman, for if he had he would have noticed the blatant resemblances, especially in the first half of the film. Allen does a little stealing from "8 1/2" in "Stardust Memories", but I suggest you go watch that and "Husbands and Wives" (Scenes from a Marriage) if you want to see Allen at his best. If you want a good comedy, with some intelligent humour, "Love and Death" might hit the spot.
Rating:
Summary: Light comedy
Review: This is a surprisingly old-fashioned comedy from Woody Allen. It is a much lighter film than most of his recent ouvre, but the frequent suggestion that this movie is unphilosophical is false -- there is a message in the film about the futility of trying to transcend one's working-class roots, a rather undemocratic sentiment. Nonetheless, the movie mostly is going for yuks instead of trying to make a statement, and at that level it succeeds. And how often do you get to see the scrawny, nebbish Allen mimic Jackie Gleason's large and loud Ralph Cramden? You do here, and I found it quite amusing.
Rating:
Summary: An Enjoyable Comedy
Review: I really have enjoyed all of Woody Allen's movies. This is no exception. Small Time Crooks is a small movie about a group of individuals who plan to rob a bank by tunneling underground from a pizza shop turned cookie bakery. That scheme goes arye, but their cookies sell like hot-cakes. It is a very funny movie that stars Michael Rapaport, Jon Lovitz, Tracey Ulman, and Hugh Grant. In my opinion Tracey Ullman steals the show with her witty funny self. But anyone who enjoys Woody Allen's movies should see this one. Believe me, it's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: This is your wallet speaking, save your money!!
Review: This DVD was so wonderful I and everyone watching it, fell asleep 45 thrilling minutes into it. I am a huge fan of both Jon Lovitz and Michael Rappaport, and was expecting this to be a good old fashioned comedy without all of the sexual preversion found in many recent comedies. I was wrong, it wasn't even a comedy. It was an extremely annoying movie being that Woody Allen talks the entire time, and never shuts up long enough for anyone to get a word in edgewise. I have seen and enjoyed other Woody Allen movies, but not this one. I would strongly suggest that you keep your money and spend it elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: This has to be Woody's worst effort
Review: As a big Allen fan, I expected the usual amount of laughs...about 1-2 every 5 minutes. This movie provided maybe 3 laughs from start to finish. This is my first review ever in Amazon, but the film was bad enough to compel me to post this to prevent anyone to spend money on this. Rent it only if you are really compulsive to see every Woody Allen movie. Very slow and predictable. You were warned.
Rating:
Summary: Two sweet-natured films in one.
Review: Breaking from recent trends, Woody Allen delivers a sweet-natured film that will come as a pleasant surprise to admirers and critics alike. Allen casts himself again character, as a dimwit, thus leaving plenty of acting space for his talented cast of co-stars, especially the multifaceted Tracey Ullman. The result is a natural-feeling film, with balanced character development, and plenty of variety. However, Small Time Crooks feels somewhat disjointed because it awkwardly grafts two movies into one. The first part of the film -- the failed bank heist -- is the shorter but better portion of the movie, an incomplete masterpiece of modern slapstick. The second part of the film, is less interesting but longer and better developed. It details the comical failure of Allen and Ullman to reinvent themselves as classy Manhattan socialites, after they accidentally become successful as legitimate business owners. Both films-within-a-film work in their own right. And, Woody Allen deserves full credit for directing a warm, gentle comedy that showcases his improved personal and spiritual maturity. On the other hand, Small Time Crooks needed sharper focus; Allen should have stuck with either the first or the second plot line -- but not both. In my opinion, the slapstick bank heist offers a hint of the perfect comedy Allen could create, if he would only let go of the need to gaze at his intellectual/social navel. Let's see what he creates next ...
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