Absolutely brilliant

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Becoming interested in movies in the late 90's,I would see a Sky Movies Box Office program that showed trailers to current releases. One of the few that has stayed in my mind is the unsettling trailer for this title. Recently introduced to Sam Rami's superb Evil Dead trilogy by a fellow IMDber,I was pleased to find this much lesser Rami creation airing,which led to me finally finding out how simple the plan could be.View on the film:A less than simple time in pre and post-production, ( Ben Stiller, John Boorman, Mike Nichols and John Dahl were all set to direct at various times,and the original studio going bust)director Sam Rami and cinematographer Alar Kivilo makes all these problems melt with a frosty Neo-Noir atmosphere. Advised on how to film in snow by friends the Coen brothers, Rami and Kivilo make the small town feel mercilessly cold to any attempt the trio make to keep the cash secret,as the overcast sombre skies and mountains of pure snow lights up any drop of blood that the trio spill. Following their first team-up on Darkman, Rami and Kivilo free up their excellent simmering pans across the doubtful faces of the trio with composer Danny Elfman's (who later married co-star Bridget Fonda) slow-burn score igniting at each wrong turn of the plan,that sends shivers down the score, and darting tracking shots following the ravens of death.Adapting his screenplay into a novel whilst long delays took place, (which by chance,is also what John Steinbeck did with The Pearl) this process by writer Scott B. Smith gives the relationships an incredible emotional depth, with Hank's touching protection for Jacob recalling George and Lennie in Of Mice And Men. Pulling a black bag of Neo-Noir trouble out of a plane,Smith brilliantly agitates the trust between the trio with glances and misplaced words to the locals building up intense friction and doubt between the loyal guys. Going against Lou's wishes by telling his wife,Smith makes the bond between Hank and Sarah be one that dips into Femme Fatale waters, via Sarah's influence guiding Hank to be the dominant one of the trio, but also rooting in him questions over the reliability of his friends,until a poetic Noir ending where Hank burns Sarah's influence away.Mistrusting Hank from the moment they pull out the cash, Brent Briscoe gives an excellent performance as Lou,whose short-fuse Briscoe uses to keep the other guys on edge over fear of a deadly outburst. Uncomfortable even touching the money,Bill Paxton gives a great performance as Hank,with Paxton bringing timidness in Hank's interactions with Bridget Fonda's thoughtful, ambitious Sarah, and a brittle loyalty to Lou and Jacob that Paxton uses to dig Hank into becoming a Noir loner. Fighting to hold the friendships together, Billy Bob Thornton gives an outstanding performance as Jacob,whose sincere, simplistic view on how they can handle the cash Thornton holds to remain firm,even as the plan turns out to be less than simple.

Ah yes, nothing so simple as a simple plan. Except when unforeseen circumstances and unintended consequences get in the way. Each bump in the road is complicated by further ruts along the way until the whole enterprise ends in disaster.This was a well scripted and intense story ultimately pitting a trio of friends against each other over a significant amount of money, four point four million dollars to be exact. Well, two of the friends are brothers, intriguingly portrayed by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton. Their drinking buddy is Lou (Brent Briscoe), and among the three of them, their combined IQ level just about approximates Hank's (Paxton) all by himself. Thornton's Jacob is perhaps a mental notch above that of Karl Childers in "Sling Blade", while Lou isn't much more than an unemployed red-neck with visions of the good life that his share of the loot can buy. With that as a starting point, events gradually take their twists and turns until spiraling into disaster for all of the principals and a few innocent bystanders as well. Along the way, one's own sense of morality and greed will be tested in the most unconventional of ways, and if you think you would do any better, well I dare anyone to try.The only problem I had with the basic story was the idea that the plane that Hank, Jacob and Lou came across happened to crash land in proximity to their town without anyone ever knowing about it. Given that as a premise, it would have made it much too coincidental for a guy like Baxter (Gary Cole) to show up impersonating a law officer in order to get his hands on the loot that went down with the plane. Earlier in the story, I was also rather amazed that Hank and Jacob would attempt to frame Lou with that role play scenario with the tape recorder. Like Lou wouldn't have had an idea of his own to protect himself?For a while now, my personal list of 'Top Ten Movies You Never Heard Of'' has been missing a final entry, but this one came along today to complete the lineup. It joins such commendable films as "Nobody's Fool", "The Milagro Beanfield War", "Harold and Maude" and "Secondhand Lions". The ones I've mentioned have to do with entirely different subjects, but in the realm of robbery and murder, this one best exemplifies the idea that crime costs more than it pays.

Saw this at the theater with my girlfriend, who was angry as we walked out. Guess the depressing mood was too much for her. I loved it. Direction was impeccable. Acting by Paxton, Thornton, Gary Cole, and really all involved was top notch. It's a shame you can't find movies like this at the theater any more. Some say it steals from the Cohen bros but I say it's an original as hell take on reality for many living in America, 20 years ago and now. Can money by you love? Can money by you happiness? Can it make your life better? I'd like to think that yes, it can, but after watching this you may reconsider that possibility. This film is not for those who are depressed. It's pretty darn depressing and will likely bring the depressed even further down the stinker, but it is one hell of a movie. HIGHLY recommended.

Hank (Bill Paxton) is a hard worker with loving pregnant wife Sarah (Bridget Fonda) in a small Minnesota town. Hank goes on a drive with his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe). After crashing their car, they go off into the woods and find a crashed small plane. In it, they find a bag full of money. Hank wants to go to the police but he is convinced by the other two to keep the money. Hank comes up with a simple plan. He hides the money until the plane is discovered. If nobody comes looking for it, they will split up the $4.4 million among the three of them.Like the title suggests, this is a relatively simple movie. Of course, Hank's plan is never going to work especially with those two idiot loudmouth friends. Anyways, Hank breaks his promise not to tell his wife almost immediately. The tension builds and builds as these bumbling idiots get into a worst and worst situation. The snowy landscape gives the movie its desolate doomed atmosphere. Billy Bob does a great idiot but Bill Paxton's needy morality is the kicker. He starts out as a reasonable everyday man with morals. Director Sam Raimi fills every scene with a threatening tension.