The Hustle (2019) / Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

The Hustle (2019) is a gender-swapped remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), which itself is a remake of Bedtime Story (1964) starring Marlon Brando and David Niven. Each movie has a basic plot that follows two con artists who team up, but then realize they can't trust each other because they are, surprise, con artists. In the 1988 version, this story plays out nicely with Steve Martin and Michael Caine leading the cast. It is a true-to-form comedy and does not operate outside those parameters. On the other hand, The Hustle doesn't reach the standard set by its predecessors. That may have something to do with the gender-swapping of the lead characters. The Hustle was given the chance to flip preconceived gender stereotypes on its head. However, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson's characters are bland, and if anything, far more stereotypical than they need to be. Look at Hathaway's sultry and ornamental costuming, and Wilson's outlandish behavior. It's a shame this film couldn't live up to the earlier iterations, which is regrettable considering a gender-swap could have revolutionized the original story.