Michael Ledo Nick Barrow (Vince Vaughn) plans heists and then sells the plans, an occupation I didn't know existed. When the robbers get killed, Nick realizes he was set up and a number of people come looking for him. He becomes concerned about his estranged teen daughter Cate (Hailee Steinfeld). Yes he does take out a life insurance policy and then we never hear about it again until the very end. Nick goes on the run with his daughter, who develops a love-hate moody teen relationship with dad.Nick is no Liam Neeson, although he can get the upper hand by using his head. Cate quickly learns from dad as this becomes a heart warming crime drama with the promise of a better sequel, should they opt to go that way. Hailee Steinfeld did an excellent job. Soft 4 starsGuide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

zardoz-13 Vince Vaughn and Hailee Steinfield portray an estranged father and daughter bonding on the run from a vengeance-driven Mexican cartel boss and corrupt Atlanta cops in "Couples Retreat" director Peter Billingsley's serviceable crime thriller "Term Life," co-starring Bill Paxton, Jonathon Banks, Jordi Mollà, Terrence Howard, Jon Favreau, Mike Epps, and Taraji P. Henson. Vaughn takes a break from cracking jokes to cracking heads as a detail-oriented criminal mastermind who plans heists. Everything is going well for him until he orchestrates a heist for the son of a Mexican cartel chieftain, Allejandro (William Levy of "The Single Moms Club") who wants to make up for his gambling losses without involving his father. Problems arise when a group of corrupt Atlanta cops, led by Detective Joe Keenan (Bill Paxton of "Aliens"), gun down Allejandro and his compadres after they steal piles of loot from an evidence locker. Director Peter Billingsley stages this heist with style. Of course, Nick Barrow (Vince Vaughn of "Wedding Crashers") doesn't know about Allejandro's father. After he finds out that everything went sideways, he contacts an older man, Harper (Jonathan Banks of "Beverly Hills Cop"), about the botched robbery, and our protagonist learns about Allejandro's father, Viktor (Jordi Mollà of "Riddick"), is coming to see him. Naturally, Nick searches for his daughter, Cate (Hailee Steinfield of "True Grit"), while he gets word that his alcoholic ex-wife, Lucy (Annabeth Gish of "Double Jeopardy"), has checked herself into detox to dry out. Basically, Nick is an anti-hero would winds up caught in an eventual cross-fire.Nick manages to stay one jump ahead of the opposition after he has an encounter in an elevator with a dirty cop, struggles to disarm this detective, after the cop accidentally shoots Nick's go-between, Jimmy Lincoln (Jon Favreau of "Made"), and winds up killing him. Meanwhile, Keenan is hoping that Viktor will dispose of Nick, but things don't pan out for Keenan. Along the way, while they are bonding at a carnival, Nick and Cate run into a conscientious local Sheriff Braydon (Terrence Howard of "Iron Man") who eventually arrests Nick after a hustling foot chase and then turns him over to Viktor's goons decked like Atlanta Police. After Braydon discovers that Viktor's men were impersonating cops, he pursues them in one car while deputy follows him in another. Unfortunately, Braydon and his deputy are no match for these homicidal Hispanic henchmen, and they die in a brief but tragic roadside shootout. Sadly, the villains are ordinary with little to distinguish them from dozens of other felons. Viktor is slightly menacing, but Jordi has played more obnoxious villains. Meantime, Detective Keenan is a double-crossing dastard who refuses to capitulate and kills just about everybody in his crew once he learns that one detective was going to Internal Affairs.Vince Vaughn doesn't usually play gun-wielding guys like Nick Barrow, so the role is a nice change of pace. He doesn't indulge in his usual motor-mouth Vince Vaughn shtick. Nevertheless, he looks every inch the role that he is playing and he is surrounded by some strong actors. One of the problems with the largely predictable "Term Life" is the number of celebrity actors who are squandered in insubstantial roles. Mind you, I liked "Term Life," and I will eventually read the graphic novel that scenarist Andy Lieberman wrote and adapted for the film. Director Peter Billingsley needs to get a few more action pictures under his belt. Indeed, "Term Life" displays lots of promise, loads of atmosphere, and robust acting. At the same time, it lacks that tear out the jugular quality that would have given it a feral sense of rage. Some of the shootouts and fistfights appear rather lackluster, but "Term Life" isn't an altogether routine effort. The cast is better than a picture like this deserves to boast, even it if misuses them. Perhaps the worst ill-used is actress Taraji P. Henson of "No Good Deed" who has one scene as an insurance agent named Samantha Thurman; she sets up a policy for Nick so that Cate will get a wad of dough if he dies. Altogether, I enjoyed "Term Life," and I'll probably take a gander at it again.

Gino Cox "Term Life" fails to deliver on the promise of its premise. It has an interesting premise. A man facing imminent and unavoidable death takes out a life insurance police to provide for his estranged daughter and must contrive to survive extraordinary odds until the policy takes effect. Somehow, I equate the film to Jason Stratham's "Crank," but rather than having less than a day, Vaughn's character has three weeks, which lends a leisurely pace. Hailee Steinfeld was great in "True Grit," but isn't given much to work with here. At twenty, she looks possibly twenty-four and seems far too mature to play sixteen – and for what? Her character could just as easily be in her mid twenties. There is relatively little chemistry here. I felt more chemistry in "Safe," another Stratham film, between him and the Chinese kid. Steinfeld's character isn't particularly interesting or even three-dimensional. The plot seems familiar, with elements we've seen before. The characters are fairly two-dimensional. Cinematography is weak with a lot of jigglycam shots. I don't actually remember a single shot that looked as if a rigid camera mount was utilized. The action scenes are of the caliber of episodic television series. Some plot developments seem implausible. Several characters seem to know more than they could possibly know in real life. Overall, it's a watchable low-budget film that devotes too much attention to a relationship that isn't particularly interesting. At 93 minutes, it could probably be cut to 70 or less without losing much. Performances are generally competent, particularly with Vaughn, but hampered by an unimaginative script.

viewsonfilm.com A father/daughter, Hollywood ending preceded by killings, shootings, chases, and slight torture oh my! Could it be Vince Vaughn starring in another farce? Heck no. He's trying to revive his career with the help of Ralphie from A Christmas Story!Anyway, despite the fugly manner in which Vaughn runs from the bad guys or the sort of drab narration he spouts out, his Term Life is still a movie that I'm going to recommend. It's a crime drama so my initial thought was why were he and director Peter Billingsley attached to it in the first place. Granted, Mr. Sunshine has been churning out bad comedies so I guess he wanted to get serious this time. He plays thief Nick Barrow and to a degree, he kinda pulls the character off. Billingsley, well he has only helmed one other film being 2009's dreadful, Couples Retreat. With "Term", he thankfully comes off as more experienced. He's aggressive behind the camera, capturing every little criminalistic detail and staging a gunfight or two with ample precision. His Term Life plays like a B movie but it's better than most. It tries really hard to make you think there's something greater beneath the surface.Now in spite of featuring irrelevant cameos by notable actors (did Taraji P. Henson, Annabeth Gish, Jon Favreau, and Mike Epps owe Peter B. a favor?), "Term" still insures that you'll be focused on its breakneck storyline. In the film, Hailee Steinfeld reprises her role as the resentful daughter from 2014's 3 Days to Kill. Don't worry though. Her performance and Term Life itself, are much better than "Kill's" hindered discombobulation.With 1973 giving us Paper moon, 2012 giving us Erased, and now 2016 giving us the harmless yet relatively entertaining Term Life, the father/daughter movie brigade is continuing if not prevailing. The title of "Term" (which I thought meant a lengthy prison sentence) has to do with Vince Vaughn's Barrow taking out a life insurance policy for his daughter (Steinfeld as Cate Barrow). You see Nick Barrow is being hunted down by hit men, corrupt cops, and the mob. Why you ask? Because as a thief, he sold his heist to the wrong people and the job went sour. Cate is also in trouble. They can get to her just as fast as they can get to him. Together, father and little one hide out incognito to try and figure out why their well being is in danger. They also try to figure out who later on, set them up (for murder). Watch for the antagonistic Bill Paxton playing a dirty detective named Keenan. He channels the role in virtually the same vein as when he played the despicable Earl in 2 Guns. Also, look out for an extensive use of Georgia locales plus Vince Vaughn's almost unrecognizable hairstyle. Paul McCartney called and says he wants his mop top back (ha ha).In conclusion, with an adjusted gross of about $21,256, it's safe to say that "Term" won't be the comeback vehicle Vince Vaughn was hoping for. I as a critic, also feel like this isn't a turning point in his career. I do however, give him credit for trying to recreate the dramatic roles he inhabited some twenty odd years ago (examples would be Domestic Disturbance, Return to Paradise, and A Cool, Dry Place). Bottom line: At 90-100 minutes, I've seen much worse from Vaughn and various, clown directors who try to better limited release dreck. Rating: 3 stars.