The Score is a movie that holds many elements together that makes is a highly watchable and ultimately suspensful crime movie. These elements are the cast, which has 3 of the finest American actors to ever grace the screen- Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, and Don Vito Corleone himself, Marlon Brando. Also though another elements is from director Frank Oz, who is a household name (at least for me) by being a muppeteer since 1963 and has also directed some hits (Bowfinger, What About Bob) and misses (In and Out, Stepsitter). Now he tackles his first crime drama, and he does it exceptionally well in holding the suspense in a way that will hold it all together, unlike some thrillers that always pop up suspense and by the time the end comes your tired out from it all. While The Score holds a couple of things also that keep it from greatness (Angela Basset's character isn't really needed for DeNiro's motivations and also the trailer revealed too much of the movie so that the movie had to try extra hard to be thrilling),it also holds controlled and outstanding performances and crackerjack suspense throughout. One of the few real must-see movies of the summer. A

There really is nothing wrong with "The Score", though, for that matter, there really isn't a lot right about it either. Considering that the film is Marlon Brando's last and it also stars Robert De Niro and Edward Norton, I would have expected some magic. Instead, it's a mildly entertaining heist film. It also has a performance by Norton that is bound to offend many.

Nick Wells (De Niro) is an aging thief who wants one final score before he gets out of the business. His bizarre buddy, Max (Brando) contacts him about a great heist--a jewel-encrusted golden scepter. However, Nick will have to have a cocky (and annoying)young partner, Jack (Norton)--and Nick is obviously not happy working with the guy.

As for Jack, he's a guy who thinks long term. He took his present job some time back in order to infiltrate the place. And, since being hired, he has behaved as if he has cerebral palsy in order to convince everyone he's harmless. Little do his co-workers know that it's all a brilliant (and politically incorrect) disguise.

To me, the film never piqued my interest and never made my pulse change a single tick. Some of this might have been due to Brando's weak performance, a bit of irritation about Norton behaving as if he's mentally challenged and a very ordinary plot. All I know is that I didn't hate it nor did I like it.

The Score even with the presence of Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro is really an ordinary caper yarn elevated to a lot more than it is by the presence of these thespian icons. Still it's a pleasure to watch the two of them in scenes together.

In his farewell film Brando is now doing the part of criminal mastermind in the tradition of Sam Jaffe from The Asphalt Jungle. A young hotshot played by Edward Norton brings him the news of a jewel encrusted ancient medieval scepter from France that is now in the Montreal customs house. Norton is working there as a janitor as part of his undercover act and I have to say his imitation of a retarded man is really something.

Brando wants old pro DeNiro running the show, but he has to talk DeNiro into it. DeNiro and Norton grate on each other's nerves, it's a generational thing.

After that the film gets into nothing more than what we've seen in a lot of good films from The Asphalt Jungle to Topkapi to The Hot Rock. Of course it's in the hands of some of the best players around.

Marlon Brando didn't go out with something as good as the Shootist, but it was far from Cuban Rebel Girl. The Score is also the final of what I call his Christian Brando defense films. That horrific series of events that resulted in the imprisonment of a son and the death of a daughter drained him dry of resources. The films Brando did in the last decade were just to pay the lawyers. He traded in and successfully on the power of his name and talent. What father wouldn't have.

And who wouldn't have wanted to direct or act with him if given a chance.