Overview: While doing a friend a favor and searching for a runaway teenager, a police detective stumbles upon a bizarre band of criminals about to pull off a bank robbery.

Blu ray Verdict: Made back in 2002 with an estimated budget of just $12,000,000, 'No Good Deed' has always been an understated, underrated, and overlooked gem. Much like, for my money, 'Cutthroat Island' with Geena Davis, but that's a whole other story! The plot is an interesting one, a neo-noir/heist movie, if you will. Samuel L. Jackson plays Jack Friar, a lonely and frustrated cop, who starts off investigating a runaway daughter for his neighbor, only to stumble into a heist that is already underway. Taken hostage, he anxiously awaits his fate while trying to get some kind of angle on his captors.

The captors include a femme fatale (the always-brilliant Milla Jovovich), a violent thug, a cultured and domineering mastermind (Stellan Skarsgard at his finest), and a racist elderly couple! They've also got an inside man that they're conning. This quirky group provides some black humor and tension. We're introduced to each character early, and the development is done rather well. The characters play off of each other in interesting ways, though I suppose it's pretty obvious that Jackson is the match to this powder keg. Still, it's fun to watch the requisite backstabbing, double-crosses, and con games as they play out.

If you're looking for a slick, fast-paced thriller, you will most definitely NOT be bored or disappointed here with 'No Good Deed.' Sure, even before the first half hour has unfolded, it does become somewhat predictable, though you'll probably forgive that if you're a fan of the actors or neo-noir genre, of course. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.