by Abhishek Singh, junior co- editor in Chief

When the announcement was made that Will Smith will be starring in the new heist/romantic comedy Focus, fans around the world were nervous but excited to see the movie star come back.

“Nicky (Will Smith), a veteran con artist, takes a novice named Jess (Margot Robbie) under his wing. While Nicky teaches Jess the tricks of the trade, the pair become romantically involved; but, when Jess gets uncomfortably close, Nicky ends their relationship. Three years later, Nicky is in Buenos Aires working a very dangerous scheme when Jess, now an accomplished femme fatale, unexpectedly shows up. Her appearance throws Nicky for a loop at a time when he cannot afford to be off his game,” according to Google about Focus.

Focus has a lot of interesting concepts that it manages to pull off, while some of it falls short. The chemistry between the characters of Nicky and Jess is fantastic. The two stars really show potential for their upcoming movie, Suicide Squad.

“I had high hopes, and I really liked it in the end. I think Will Smith was perfect for the role and I hope he continues to make movies,” movie goer Amy said.

While Focus titles itself as a “heist” movie, it really isn’t about heists but rather small time stealing during the first half of the movie while the second half leads up to a big con. The main point of the movie is showing how cons work and the fun behind it.

This movie lives up to its hype during its first half of the movie, while the other half switches to a more serious romantic con between the two characters. It’s a very interesting time during the two characters because the audience doesn’t know who is conning who.

The ending satisfies and disappoints at the same time. Without spoiling, it’s an awkward way to finish but it isn’t bad to witness.

“It’s a great comeback for Will Smith. I am excited to see what he shows later on! [I] love him,” moviegoer Amanda said.

Overall, Focus is a fun journey but falls short of its clever approaches. It isn’t a bad movie by any means, but it could have been produced better.

Final Verdict: 8/10