Released in 2007 and following the general style of Ocean's Eleven, the film follows the story of Alejandro (Fernando Colunga) and Emilio (Miguel Veroni), two former thieves who team up to rob Moctezuma Valdez, a TV infomercial guru who left the thievery long ago and made his fortune selling bogus products for gullible Latino immigrants. As none of their former partners in crime are available anymore, they assemble an improbable team to execute the heist.
Although the movie language is mostly Spanish, it is in fact an American production, being produced and distributed by Lionsgate, with Joe Menendez as director and Jojo Henrickson as writer.
To Rob a Thief contains examples of:
- Caper Rationalization: The group follow with the plan because their target sells ineffective products and the buyers genuinely think they work.
- Give Me Back My Wallet:
- Alejandro and Moctezuma in the beginning of the party, at the same time and at each other, just to say that they're still the best thieves.
- Earlier in the movie, when Alejandro steals the wallet of a smuggler, only to be caught by him and threatened with a gun just a minute later.
- Groin Attack: When Primitivo tries to forcibly kiss the nanny, already in the ground, he receives one. Although the attack is concealed by the bed, the pain face and the limping shortly after are more than enough to understand it was painful.
- Honor Among Thieves: Discussed. Alejandro points this out to Emilio while they are setting up the plan, but Emilio says it is different and for a noble cause.
- Just Like Robin Hood: The ultimate objective of the heist is to return the values to all the affected people.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: While Moctezuma is in the process of realizing he had all his money stolen, he orders his guards the already beat down Emilio to be locked in the toilet near them. That was the toilet used to escape with the money.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The assembled team for the heist, a bunch of Latino immigrants with no previous experience on professional thievery.
- The Lad-ette: Rafaela is this. She is presented fixing a car engine, is crude, agressive and does not embrace at all her feminine traits (until it is demanded by The Plan).
- Treasure Room: The highly-controlled vault storing all his money.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Emilio spits out blood when lying on the floor, which prompts Moctezuma to order him to be locked in the toilet. The blood was actually from a small capsule hidden in the mouth beforehand.
