Masterplan arrives on Amazon Prime Video as a glossy, high-concept caper centered on the theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Directed by Thomas Vincent, who co-wrote the script with David Wolstencroft, the movie assembles an international trio: veteran actor Stanley Tucci as the self-styled mastermind Roger, French newcomer Victor Belmondo as the explosives specialist Jay, and Italian breakout Simona Tabasco as the cyber-hacker Chiara. The premise—two strangers discovered to be brother and sister forced to collaborate on the “job of a lifetime”—sounds like fertile ground for tension and humor, yet the execution quickly feels as flat as a painted canvas.
While the real 2025 Louvre heist, in which thieves disguised as maintenance workers stole historic jewels, still captures headlines, Masterplan offers a fictional version that bypasses any serious stakes. The film treats the Mona Lisa as a convenient MacGuffin, a plot device whose intrinsic value is never explored beyond its fame. This choice strips the robbery of any emotional weight, leaving audiences to watch a series of gadget-laden set-pieces that rarely rise above the level of a flashy commercial.
Plot mechanics and the family twist
The narrative launches when Roger lures Chiara and Jay into a covert briefing, revealing that they share the same father—a revelation meant to add sentimental depth to the heist. Their respective skill sets—Chiara’s proficiency with retina-scan cloning and “VR intrusion” tools, and Jay’s knack for explosives—are introduced as textbook archetypes, but the script never grants them room to evolve. Instead, the film rushes through a series of infiltration scenes: a high-tech tunnel beneath the Louvre, a truffle-scented distraction, and a balloon-filled escape that feels lifted straight from a 1960s caper handbook. The climax, a chaotic blend of drones and last-minute betrayals, attempts to compensate for a storyline that lacks genuine tension.
Even the supposed emotional payoff—siblings reconciling while dodging police and mobsters—feels forced. The dialogue oscillates between cheesy one-liners and out-of-place sexual innuendos, such as Chiara’s flirtatious banter about Jay’s “hammer” that clashes with their newly discovered blood tie. The film’s humor lands inconsistently; moments that could have echoed the charm of Ocean’s Eleven or The Italian Job instead read like a draft of an American sitcom trying to mimic Italian swagger.
Performance, chemistry, and character depth
Stanley Tucci brings his trademark wit to Roger, delivering a mix of suave confidence and over-the-top eccentricity—complete with a flamboyant Italian accent and occasional mustache twirl. Though his presence lifts several scenes, the script confines him to a caricature of the criminal mastermind, preventing him from showcasing the nuance that made his recent turns in Conclave and Supernova memorable. Tabasco’s Chiara is technically competent, offering a sleek, charismatic portrayal of a modern hacker, yet the character is reduced to a collection of buzzwords without a compelling personal arc. Belmondo’s Jay swings between slickness and slapstick, never settling into a fully realized anti-hero.
The trio’s interactions lack the chemistry essential to a successful heist ensemble. Sibling rivalry feels superficial, and the occasional flirtation that should have crackled with tension instead lands with a muted thud. The film’s attempts at “brother-sister bonding”—including a brief strip-poker scene—come off as gimmicky rather than emotionally resonant, leaving viewers indifferent to the characters’ fates.
Stylistic choices, genre context and final verdict
Visually, Masterplan leans into a slick, neon-tinged aesthetic, employing rapid cuts and stylized gadget shots that echo the tone of recent heist entries like The Furies or Evil Genius. While these elements provide occasional visual excitement, they cannot mask the screenplay’s lack of substance. The film’s pacing suffers from uneven beats: the first two acts meander through exposition, while the final third rushes through convoluted twists that feel both predictable and overly contrived.
In a year that has already delivered inventive capers—such as The Rip and an upcoming The Thomas Crown Affair remake—Masterplan feels like a missed opportunity. Its reliance on a well-trodden heist formula, paired with underdeveloped characters and a hollow family revelation, renders it more of a filler for streaming schedules than a memorable entry in the genre. Viewers seeking a light, disposable thriller might find occasional amusement in its gadgetry, but anyone hoping for a fresh take on the art-theft myth will likely walk away wishing the Mona Lisa had never been targeted at all.
