Expectations for Will Smith’s latest vehicle, Focus, has been low. In an era when every major star is no longer making movies, but franchises, many have not known what to make of the low-key marketing for the new flick. Focus is clearly inspired by movies such as The Sting and The Color of Money, where the excitement doesn’t come from watching someone throw a good punch. It comes from watching a masterfully laid out scam unfold, while balanced with witty My Girl Friday-style banter for a modern audience.

Smith plays Nicky Spurgeon a career grifter who is at the top of his game and the head of a complex thievery operation. His outfit moves from city to city, chasing big events such as the Super Bowl, where people are primed to be swindled. Nicky gets seemingly conned early on by Jess Barrett, played by Margot Robbie. He turns the tables on the situation and decides to take Jess under his wing, to help her refine her skills. Of course the rule is to not get involved with your fellow scammers, or it could leave you vulnerable to be caught, which could mean prison or worse. They do get involved and Nicky abruptly breaks off their relationship, both business and personal. Years later they run into each other in Argentina scamming the same billionaire. Who will prevail and will they lose focus on their respective missions?

Focus is a surprisingly entertaining and quick-witted movie. Don’t go in expecting explosions, because there are none. What makes this movie more enjoyable than it is probably expected to be, is the palpable chemistry between Smith and Robbie. This movie quickly reminds audiences why Smith has been such a large star. It is easy to imagine this same film sinking through the cracks without his magnetism in the lead role. Smith plays Nicky with an old-school charm that brings to mind leading men of days gone by. While Robbie shows that she is the real deal and looks worthy of all the early praise that she has been receiving as the next anticipated female movie star. The two bounce off each other and dominate almost every scene they are in. They are undoubtedly the two true alphas in the room at any given point. 

The movie is surprisingly funny and does have a unique rhythm. There are few supporting characters that really brighten up the screen starting with Farhad, played by Adrian Martinez. He is Nicky’s sidekick and wingman in the con game and has a comedic energy that brings to mind Danny Devito, in the Romancing the Stone movies. BD Wong shows up as gambling billionaire who seemingly brings out Nicky’s demons. The scene that Wong, Smith, and Robbie share is the highlight of the movie.

Directors Glenn Ficarra John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love) lace the film with a smooth soul soundtrack, that makes a statement right off the bat that this movie is not trying to be trendy or keep up with other big movies. Focus is filmed with confidence and knows that it is cool.

Focus examines the complex underground network of scamming and pick-pocketing. Ficarra and Requa add a few visual flourishes, but primarily keep the action in the wordplay and increasing complex situations the characters find themselves in. They are able to also ratchet up tension in seemingly benign scenarios, because the viewer never quite knows how far the con is really going. So at some points Nicky and Jess are conning their targets and at other times they are conning each other and the audience. Until ultimately, it’s like watching a game of Three Card Monte, the viewer loses track of who to trust. Which really does make the movie engaging.

While Focus is an entertaining watch, it certainly won’t be a movie that is widely remembered, besides possibly marking the first time that Robbie and Smith team up before Suicide Squad. Many of you are reading this review just to find out how this “audition” for Harley Quinn and Deadshot went. They are going to knock it out of the park and with their chemistry, they are sure to make the Joker very jealous… It’s easy to imagine Nicky’s attention to details in the con game, being translated to expertly timed assassinations when Smith plays Deadshot. Robbie shows the ability to be naive, honest, devious, and hilarious, all in the same scene which are staples of Harley Quinn’s personality. She looks like she was pulled straight from Paul Dini’s Batman: The Animated Series, with her expressive eyes and wide grin. We are all in for a treat next year…

Focus is ultimately an entertaining movie, however it has an underwhelming and cliched ending. It felt as if there was literally going to be a title card that said, “The End.” However, despite getting overly sappy, it is worth a watch and definitely a better date movie option than Fifty Shades of Grey. Smith and Robbie prove that their star power is for real and we should make sure to keep our focus on them.