The Bling Ring (2011)

The Bling ring is a 2011 crime drama film starring Austin Butler and Ying Chang. Unlike the 2013 film,this film is a bit different and shows more of the events that were based on a true story. The film tells the story of a few teens obsessed with fashion so they decide to break in to a celebrity's home and steal there expensive items. I really liked this film a lot especially for a Lifetime film. The film didn't come out to be famous at all,there were no actors that I recognized but they were very good and talented young actors. The film told more of the events as I said that occurred than in the 2013 film that grew to be very famous. The Bling Ring(2011) is a very good Lifetime film based on the 2008-9 burglary's that occurred in Hollywood.

The Bling Ring is an above average, absorbing TV movie. As something that chronicles a bunch of Hollywood brats stealing possessions from celebrity houses, "Ring" is swiftly paced, well acted (especially by its lead, Austin Butler), and dutifully told in terms of the old adage being, "crime doesn't pay." Now it doesn't quite end as compelling as it should. Why? Because you don't ultimately know the outcome of most of the characters (unless you know the true story beforehand). Plus, there is an overused device in which certain cast members reflect back on the scandalous events that took place (this is done documentary style like 2006's Alpha Dog). Regardless, the entertainment value in this 2011 Lifetime flick is through the roof. And it's clever in the way it uses today's technology (social media in the form of Facebook) to lead to the demise of the teenage thieves that are clearly in denial. Of note: look for Jennifer Grey (yes the girl from Dirty Dancing) in a surprisingly strong role playing the "ring" leader's mother. Plus, you have well known TV director Michael Lembeck behind the camera. His style is effective without being too flashy.

Even for a TV movie, this one is pretty bad. Now I managed to watch this flick after seeing the 2013 "The Bling Ring" which is the better movie but not by much. While the 2013 version I saw it without knowing it's based on a true story, this one I saw it while knowing it's based on a true story. But this one goes away from the truth more, while glamorizing the robbers more. All the characters just seemed unrealistic in a lot of ways and it's not just because of the horrendous acting. The interaction amongst the characters just seemed forced and unrealistic in a lot of ways. Like it just didn't seem like the ways teenagers that would pull these robberies off would say to one another. The 2013 version just seemed to be more tenacious, while having tenacity and better acting. And a better ending. The main protagonist this time actually seemed like the type the girls would give a chance to be around, despite both having a lot of insecurities and wanting to fit in. The connection seemed to be more developed. If it combined certain elements from this flick and 2013 flick, it would have been a better movie as a whole.3.6/10

The Bling Ring (2011) ** (out of 4) Made-for-TV drama about a group of bored teenagers who became known as "The Bling Ring" when they started to gain "fame" by breaking into the homes of various celebrities. I'll admit that I had never heard of this film until after seeing the Sofia Coppola version from 2013. I'm really not sure how fair it is to compare the two films but if you must then there's no question that the one from Coppola is the better one with her style completely taking over the subject and delivering a real gem. This film here will probably appeal to more people who just enjoy watching these Lifetime movies. With that said, this here isn't all that bad but at the same time there's just not too much energy or fun to be found here. I think one of the biggest problems is that the majority of the teenage characters are just downright annoying and rather stupid. Perhaps there's a point to this but it doesn't make them very entertaining to watch. I say this because the film really doesn't give you a good idea of what these kids were like outside of their stealing habits but I think the one section where this film does better than the 2013 version is during a few scenes where the addiction to fame is highlighted. The Natalie Kim character's inability to understand the trouble they're in because she just sees herself as being famous is something that is rather interesting and we needed more scenes like this. The most entertaining aspect of this picture is seeing the lead detective (Tom Irwin) working the case and trying to figure out who is doing what. I think the film would have been much better had they centered the entire film around him because of how good Irwin is in the part. Chang is also good in her role as is Austin Baker in the lead but the screenplay doesn't do much for their characters. THE BLING RING is mildly entertaining if you like these made-for-TV films but the 2013 is the way to go.