How to Rob a Bank

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shannon b Great bank robbery documentary in Seatle in the 90s. Loved the use of cartoon in it. Very interesting. Loved it! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/16/24 Full Review Scott M Straight forward and uninspired documentary about a string of bank robberies in the 1990s throughout Seattle, WA area, told mostly through interviews and animations. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/15/24 Full Review Va C As with everything in life, we are only privy to approximately 20% of what we see in any given experience. Surely the remaining 80% has compelling untold facts that would make an amazing movie. How to Rob a Bank does not vary from any other experience in life. This documentary was outstandingly produced, the music is also amazing, but again, we are only getting about 20% of the facts here. The lead FBI Special Agent on the case, Shawn Johnson, epitomizes the quality of agents the FBI used to have in its prime. His interviews and compassionate comments show regard for human life, including the bank robbers, unlike that of other members of the task force. The comment that stands out particularly is that Agent Johnson indicated that there was always another day to catch "Hollywood". The Seattle cop who was also interviewed for this show seemed like he preferred blood over justice. Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins? Not a quality I would want in an officer. If you really pay attention to how things played out, you would understand that the investigation took 4 years because of the skill of Hollywood and his accomplices. This does not in any way diminish the immense skill of the FBI agents or other individuals involved in this case, who were also handling all other bank robberies in Seattle (which they indicated was about 1 a day on average). If I remember correctly, it was said in the documentary that Agent Johnson actually accurately predicted (based on facts, evidence, and pure skill) where Hollywood was going to rob next. It seems that the Hollywood robberies would have continued indefinitely if not for his level of competence. Mark Biggins and Steve Meyers, Hollywood's accomplices, appeared to have integrity, compassion and remorse for their actions. I disagree with other reviews stating that Scott (Hollywood) is being glorified. This documentary takes a deep dive into the psyche of Scott and what lead him down this dark path. Mark and Steve did their time, completed their debt to society, and specifically state that they are remorseful for the harm their actions caused to others. This doesn't seem like a group of people who are proud of the harm they caused (unlike the cop). This story has so many layers and so much information that it would be impossible to condense 4 years of investigation, all of the facts and information to accurately and completely be represented in 90 minutes. Even so, the directors and producers were still able to create quite a detailed and immersive storyline. The reenactments fitting in seamlessly with the animation storyboards was such an interesting and seemingly effortless effect. I will definitely be recommending this to others. It was far more accurate than the FBI files or the Ann Rule book which I watched/read years ago. It was nice to clear up some details that seemed questionable in those. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review MrGalaxy M It’s definitely worth a watch I found it very interesting and informative, I like it. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/10/24 Full Review William L In a world where True Crime documentaries is a genre, this story will captivate you from beginning to end. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/10/24 Full Review Fredrick S This is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen and is gripping from the start. I enjoyed the use of story boards to tell portions of this tale and the old film clips. The characters were intriguing and complex. It’s an excellent film and I hate to say too much or I’ll give some of it away. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/09/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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