Modern-Day Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn Hunt for Treasure in ‘Band of Robbers’

Sandra Miska

Mark Twain’s classic novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is the inspiration for “Band of Robbers,” a crime comedy about a group of friends in a small town who set out to uncover a secret stash of gold. The film, which is set in modern day and features an adult cast, has few similarities with its source material, except for character names and a plot that revolves around hidden treasure.

Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner) has been friends with Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) since they were both young boys. Huck, who was raised by an abusive father, considers Tom to be his only real family. In their youth, the two would get into mischief with Tom being the ringleader. The two spent years searching, without success, for a chest of loot known as “Merle’s Treasure,” named for a long-dead bandit.

Years later, it is Huck who is just getting out of jail and Tom, perhaps surprisingly (or not) is now a police officer. While Huck is now content to keep his head down, Tom, who lives in the shadow of his detective older brother Sid (Eric Christian Olsen), strives for greatness no matter which side of the law he ends up on.

What is meant to be a surprise welcome home party for Huck thrown by Tom and their misfit friends – goofball Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler), easily confused Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) and wimpy Tommy Barnes (Johnny Pemberton) – is turned by Tom into the inaugural meeting of the robbers. Barnes, who is married to Tom’s devoutly Christian ex-girlfriend Amy Lawrence (Maria Blasucci), bails almost immediately. Joe and Ben immediately agree to join in while Huck needs more convincing. A promise of a better life by Tom sucks him in, and it’s off to the apartment of an old man known as Muff Porter (Cooper Huckabee) who tells them what Tom supposedly already knows – Merle’s Treasure is stashed away at a local pawnshop.

Tom comes up with a foolproof scheme that involves Huck and Joe robbing the store while Tom pretends to go after them and Ben acts as a hostage. What he doesn’t count on is getting partnered with a rookie cop, the eager-to-prove-herself Becky Thatcher played by Melissa Benoist. To complicate matters, Tom is immediately smitten with the young woman. Despite Becky’s presence and several other missteps made by the guys, they get away with the contents of the register only to find that the “loot” is a mere 200 dollars. However, a rare coin found amongst the pocket change is revealed to be a clue that will lead them to the real treasure. The robbers continue their hunt but what they don’t count on is a gun-toting fellow treasure hunter, an old white guy who goes by the un-PC moniker Injun Joe (Stephen Lang), on their trail.

“Band of Robbers” was written and directed by Adam Nee along with his brother Aaron, and despite the wacky plot, these two newcomers have created a hilarious film filled with witty dialogue and strong comic acting.

Nee and Gallner have great chemistry while Guber, who got his start playing the unpaid intern in the Wes Anderson comedy “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and now stars on the episodic drama “Criminal Minds,” proves that he’s still got it when it comes to comedy. Although he gets less screen time, Buress is also brilliant as the loveable idiot. Probably because of the brotherhood theme, Benoist’s character is a little one-note, but she does the best she can with the material. Veteran comic actress Beth Grant gets in a few humorous lines as Huck’s roommate Widow Douglas.

“Band of Robbers” opens Jan. 15 in select theaters and VOD.