Cat burglar Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger) is released from prison after 6 years for the bank robbery. She's on parole with only the suit she went to court with. Her ex told her son Patrick that she's dead. Gary Buckner is her harsh parole officer. J.T. Barker (Val Kilmer) is an incompetent robber eager to be in her next job. She's trying to go straight but nobody is willing to hire an ex-con. J.T.'s relative Jack Schmidt (Terence Stamp) wants her to do one more job. Buckner threatens Karen with more prison unless she does the job. When she refuses, Patrick is kidnapped.

The first half sets up for a solid caper movie. Everything is against Karen. She's the underdog with a heart of gold. The caper is functional. It's at least six years since Karen has done a job and she is still up to date with security tech. It's hard to imagine her ex holding off calling the cops. There are a few little things that add up to a less compelling caper movie.

A woman is released from prison, an expert bank robber who wants to settle down and go straight.

But then her parole officer and her former employer try to get her to pull one more heist....

This film is just basically the dramatic version of the notorious Bruce Willis vanity project 'Hudson Hawk', but with all the entertainment and fun taken out of it.

The film disappeared without a trace when released here in November 1993, and if my facts are correct, I don't think it's ever been screened on T.V.

Basinger is fine as the titular character, forced into one last job when her son is taken by General Zod, and her parole officer. But she get's to know her son, even though he thinks she is just a friend, and her real mother is dead.

Hence 'The Real McCoy'.

Val Kilmer visits from the set of True Romance as the potential love interest, but he mugs his way through his scenes, and acts like a complete and utter ego maniac, maybe life imitating art.

It's not very exciting, the crew never appear to be in any danger, and then it finishes, where everyone predictably lives happily ever after.

She should have stuck with Boxing Helena, it may be just as bad, but at least it's well remembered.

This is the sort of movie that will do if nothing else is on, but don't expect too much of it. I guess there is only one good reason to watch it and that is Kim Basinger. I really can't come up with something better.

This is a typical Hollywood bank robbery movie. Nothing wrong with that when it is done right, but The Real McCoy never gets above the average in the genre. The characters as well as the script are average and very shallow. You never get rid of the feeling that you know what is going to happen ... only to see a few minutes later that your feeling didn't betray you.

The bank robbery is perhaps the biggest disappointment. It's unbelievable how these top criminals always seem to know how to avoid every security system thanks to all the gadgets they use (they would make James Bond blush like a little school girl). And then of course we still have the security guards that look like a bunch of idiots that just want to be fooled. Spice this up with a love story that never really takes off and a lot of emotions about a little boy and you know what kind of movie this is.

I just wasn't thrilled after seeing it. I reward it with a 5/10. It just isn't worth more. Too bad.