Directed by James March, King of Thieves is a 2018 British crime film inspired by true events. The screenplay, penned by Joe Penhall, Duncan Campbell, and Mark Seal, brings to life the

notorious Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary - a heist carried out over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend in April 2015 by a crew of seasoned elderly criminals. The film boasts a star-studded

cast including Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis, Charlie Cox, Jim Broadbent, Paul Whitehouse and Ray Winstone. It tells the tale of a band of retired crooks

(and one youthful alarms expert) who plan and execute a daring robbery in London's jewellery quarter during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. However, their final job quickly descends

$11.5 million at the box office, reports the Daily Record. The majority of the film's scenes were shot in central London and around the Margate area in Kent, showcasing spots such as

the Wig and Pen Pub, Nayland Rock Hotel, Harbour Arm, the vicinity of Turner Contemporary, and Margate railway station. Notably, Abbott's Cliff in Dover features prominently in the

train sequence as Brian Reader, portrayed by Michael Caine, journeys to Margate. However, with a mere 31 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the motion picture struggled to cause a

stir. Both critics and cinemagoers were underwhelmed by how the story unfolded, with one critic claiming: "The Hatton Gardens heist was a ballsy operation. You can't say the same

about King of Thieves." One reviewer lamented that "King of Thieves really should have delivered way more cinematic swag than it does." Another expressed mixed feelings,

saying: "Torn between jaunty genre hijinks and a bleaker streak of realism, it's a strangely stiff, lethargic account of a cracking tale." One particularly pointed review

read: "There is one joke in King of Thieves, and it's that the thieves are old. That's it-that's the whole movie," while another bemoaned the wasted potential:

"Marsh had his hands on some very fancy jewels. What he didn't have, sadly, was the script to make them gleam." Disenchantment wasn't confined to the critics; viewers

also felt let down. One audience member described their experience as: "Passes the time but little else. Tries hard to be both a comedy and a thriller but doesn't really succeed at

either. For such a daring burglary, this could have surely been done a lot better." One audience member likened the film to the actual failed robbery it portrays, saying: "Based

on a real account of a robbery in London and featuring a superb all British cast. Very much like the botched heist, the plot here is in shambles all over the place." Another viewer

expressed their letdown, adding: "It's poorly written. The heist isn't that exciting. The humour isn't funny." A different spectator noted: "Not a gripping

tale. At times the audience were laughing - was this supposed to be a comedy? ? ? Difficult to remember the names of the robbers...who was who?". This viewer also critiqued the

film's depth, saying: "Undoubtedly the royalty of British male actors but the story was weak. It could have been much better if there was character and story development of the

Police activity pitted against the perpetrators. Shame - not worth a look."