Masterplan Review
Director: Thomas Vincent
Date Created: 2026-10-16 17:38
2.5
Masterplan Review: Directed by Thomas Vincent, the Prime Video crime comedy stars Stanley Tucci as Roger Cavendish, Victor Belmondo as Jay, Simona Tabasco as Chiara, and Mark Ivanir as Bruno. The supporting cast includes Philippe Uchan, Foëd Amara, Élisabeth Vitali, Jonas Bachan, Eliott Margue, and others. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Masterplan Review
Prime Video’s Masterplan follows Roger, a veteran thief who decides to attempt one of the most outrageous robberies imaginable by stealing the famous Mona Lisa painting from the Louvre Museum. In order to execute this plot successfully, he involves two people, including Chiara, who is an ace when it comes to cybersecurity, and Jay, who is an expert in the field of explosives. Though the two are gifted in their respective disciplines, neither of them is ready for the personal shock of their lives, which will come with this assignment. Roger introduces them to each other as brother and sister, respectively, and informs them that he is their father even though they were not raised knowing each other.
Prime Video movie Masterplan had the potential to be enjoyable, since its premise alone is exciting enough. But to add another layer of excitement to the plot, the thief who steals the Mona Lisa also has to involve his children who he does not know about in the crime. The movie is ripe with possibilities to plan a crime in a cunning manner and to throw in a couple of funny family scenes in the mix. Sadly, the movie did not take full advantage of all these possibilities, leaving me disappointed in it.
My biggest issue is the rapidity with which the story assumes my understanding of the family discovery. How does it feel to find out that there is a sister/brother who was hidden from you all these years, and the one who introduces you to him or her is none other than your own father? This is quite a lot to take in, considering you have been living your whole life under different pretences regarding your family story. But Chiara and Jay do not even have a chance to act upon this news since the robbery overshadows it.
Chiara and Jay could have been the most intriguing element of the movie. While Chiara works with computer security, Jay has a special talent for explosives; therefore, both have unique skills and personalities for that mission. However, their professionalism can be considered the motive of the director for putting them together, while their unexpected bond would have been an even more powerful motive to keep them close. Unfortunately, their relationship does not progress to such a degree that one can feel how significant their discovery is for them. Sibling terms do not equal strangers who try to comprehend what family means to them.
Another character that I wanted to know more about was Roger. Stanley Tucci is an actor that has charisma enough to allow people watch him even though the script around him may not be that great. He infuses a certain level of confidence into his character, which makes Roger appear as a person who can always beat others at their own game. His acting adds to the charm of the movie, and the concept of a veteran criminal trying to pull off one more exceptional robbery seemed rather interesting to me. However, there is not enough character development in the story for Roger for me to really appreciate his manipulations.
Victor Belmondo and Simona Tabasco have excellent chemistry as Jay and Chiara. Jay’s self-assurance in his capabilities adds an interesting dimension to the crew, while Chiara’s enthusiasm adds some drive to the plot. Both actors bring sufficient charisma to keep their characters likeable and entertaining, but the screenplay provides little scope for their development. At times, their acting implies more complex relationships between siblings than the plot offers. It would be nice if the movie had dwelled on their discomfort, excitement, or even irritation with Roger rather than hurrying them to the next challenge.
But the actual robbery itself has also failed to satisfy my curiosity. A good heist film doesn’t have to be realistic, and I have no problems accepting the ridiculous idea of stealing the Mona Lisa. All I needed was a plan which would spark my interest in learning how it would work out for them. But the Masterplan too many times appears to be more focused on getting the characters into the next trouble rather than revealing the logic behind their decisions. The specialists possess interesting job positions, but their skills do not always result in sequences which seem to be particularly creative.
The Prime Video Masterplan movie also has its ups and downs. Some of the humour derives from the madness of the situation, particularly in the intersection of the criminal plan and the discovery of one’s family. Nevertheless, there is a problem with maintaining the right balance between the fun aspects of the movie and its more profound meaning. While I appreciated the madness that the movie had in itself, I was waiting for a joke to come more organically from the characters’ actions.
There was one positive point, and that was its style. It is rather nice that the French and Italian background serves as an appropriate background for the movie; the fast editing makes sure that everything goes by quickly, and the actors themselves put in enough effort to make the film not completely boring. However, good locations and good appearances cannot help the characters with their undeveloped relationships and the weak heist.
Prime Video Masterplan Review: Summing up
Overall, the 2026 movie Masterplan is just an average crime comedy that appears visually appealing with a great cast, but cannot transform its unique concept into a story. The actor Stanley Tucci gives life to a charming Roger, and the family secret itself gives some substance to the film which could not have been provided by an ordinary art theft. Nevertheless, it suffers from a lack of good character development, inconsistent humour, and predictability. Perhaps it can be a good choice for a leisure viewing, but personally I did not find it clever enough.
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