Plunkett and Macleane

Plot

1748 England is infested with highwaymen - men such as Will Plunkett, a London-based criminal working with his partner Rob. When Rob is killed by Thief Taker General Chance after a botched heist outside debtors prison, Plunkett must find a way to retrieve a large ruby that his partner had swallowed What he doesn't know is that the incident was witnessed by James Macleane, a socialite from the upper echelons of society, who had found himself in debtor's prison. Macleane sees this ruby as his ticket out of debt, and after narrowly escaping discovery by Chance, he decides to exhume Rob's body.

Plunkett is waiting at the cemetery and forces Macleane to give the ruby to him. When they are both found by Chance's men, Plunkett swallows the ruby himself. While in Newgate Prison, the two form a partnership that utilizes Plunkett's criminal know-how and Macleane's social status to bribe their way out of prison. This tentative partnership leads to an unlikely alliance, deemed "The Gentlemen Highwaymen", where they gladly relieve the gentry of their possessions.

When Macleane falls for the beautiful Lady Rebecca, the niece of the powerful Lord Gibson, their plans to escape to America go awry. The pair part ways after a disastrous attempt to rescue Lady Rebecca from forced exodus, which leads to the death of Lord Gibson, and the discovery that Macleane's has gambled away all of their funds.

Macleane is eventually captured and tried for Lord Gibson's murder, earning him a date with the gallows. Plunkett orchestrates a daring escape, aided by Lady Rebecca and the flamboyant Lord Rochester. After a tense chase through the city sewers that sees Plunkett exact revenge upon Thief taker Chance, the three escape to freedom.

Cast

Release and reception

Plunkett & Macleane was a flop at the box office. The film opened on 1 October 1999 in 475 U.S. theaters, taking in US$244,765 during its first three days; total domestic earnings stand at US$474,900.

The film received negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes lists a 26% rating (with an average score of 4.7/10), while Metacritic's metascore is 44 (indicating "mixed or average reviews").

Despite being panned by the critics, it was acclaimed by worldwide audiences and has gained a cult following. Metacritic's user review metascore is 8.4 (indicating "Universal Acclaim").