Considering the rapid pace of the movie and its insomnious setting, Sleepless could not be a more apt title for this film.
Jamie Foxx stars as undercover Las Vegas policeman Vincent Downs, who in an effort to save his son from murderous gangsters, finds himself caught between the good guys, the bad guys and a non-stop barrage of gunfire.
Sleepless wastes no time getting to the action. The opening scene throws viewers in the middle of a drug robbery before they have a chance to settle into their seats. Downs and his corrupt partner, Sean Crass (Tip “TI” Harris), steal 25 kilos of cocaine unknowingly from an infamous drug lord. The repercussions of this misstep lead to Down's son being kidnapped. The majority of the movie is spent with Downs scouring a ritzy Las Vegas hotel looking to save his son while avoiding a tenacious detective (Michelle Monoghan) trying to catch him and corrupt cops and criminals attempting to murder him.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before ... a loose cannon cop with a very particular set of skills stops at nothing to rescue his kidnapped child. Although the premise might wreak of typical Hollywood recycling (ahem, Taken), Sleepless benefits from its rapid pace, Foxx’s screen presence, action-packed scenes and a whirlwind of twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The twists continue until the very last scene, with a cliffhanger that possibly portends an upcoming sequel.
This movie should be enjoyable to the average action movie fan. However, no amount of action or talented actors can conceal the horrendous lack of character development that plagues this movie. Every single character in this movie is a stock character. At no point in the movie are the developments of any relationships made apparent, including Downs and his son who have their fair share of screen time together. Maybe all of the character development is being saved for the sequel that is foreshadowed in the final scene? We shall see. But if you’re going to watch this movie don’t expect to see much more than Jamie Foxx kicking ass, and enough twists to keep your head turning like the little girl from the exorcist.