TWO guys escape from prison. They arm themselves, rob banks, and take a woman hostage.

And they get away with it.

Bandits could have been another unpalatable Holly-wood crime drama that glorifies violence and turns its villains into heroes.

Instead it is a light, amusing, unremarkable caper. It's pretty much a modern reworking of Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, although the central partnership perhaps owes more to Laurel and Hardy.

Joe Blake and Terry Lee Collins (Willis and Thornton) are doing time for an unspecified crime.

Joe is cool, laconic and impulsive. Terry is a neurotic hypochondriac who hates acting on the spur of the moment.

It hardly sounds like a friendship made in heaven, but Joe and Terry stick together through thick and thin, and team up to make a daring escape from prison.

Unsure what to do next, they decide to rob banks and devise the ingenious plan to spend the night with bank presidents and get them to open up early the next day to hand over the cash. Consequently, they become known on TV as the Sleepover Bandits.

And their notoriety is extended when they unwittingly pick up unhappy wife and Bonnie Tyler fan Kate (Blanchett) to join them on their exploits.

The success of Bandits stands or falls on the central relationship and for much of the film Joe and Terry prove to be a likeable pair of rogues. Thornton steals the acting honours from a surprisingly subdued Willis, and the addition of Blanchett does add some spice to the proceedings.

But story runs out of steam once the central premise has been flogged to death and we are presented with a well-telegraphed twist.

Rating: 6 out of 10