A moderately fun romp.
Alan Alda plays the Bernie Madoff type character. Ben Stiller is the manager of his luxury apartment building, and Eddie Murphy is a petty thief, who Stiller knows from childhood.
Now for the ICBN:
Spoiler, so hightlight as usual.
The whole plot revolves around the Ferrari in Alda's living room. Alda's character has hidden his handwritten ledger in the owners manual to the Ferrari. The FBI has been unable to find it. Here's the nit (highlight): There is no way the FBI would NOT have searched the glove box of the Ferrari. The WOULD have found the ledger causing the whole "He's going to walk" plot point to disappear.
Another nit with a spoiler Also, there is no way that a Ferrari made of gold would weigh only 2000 pounds. Also when the parts are sent to the victims, they would be too heavey to be held the way they are.
In the "HBO First Look" making of documentary that's playing concurrently with this film (on HBO, of course), Alan Alda says that Tower Heist may be the first film to feature the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Hello. Didn't he ever hear of, much less see, a little gem released in 1947 titled Miracle on 34th Street. That film used the Macy's Parade to propel its plot. Maybe someone can send Mr. Alda a DVD of the film. You know, to refresh his memory.
Fun movie, though. Well worth a look, on either DVD, or if you have HBO or Cinemax.
Late in the film, the FBI guys take Shaw to court in a Buick with New York plates. U.S. Government cars are almost never Buicks; they're more modest Fords or Chevys. And, all government cars have U.S. Government plates, never state plates.
When Josh and FBI agent Denham are sitting in a car while he's making a date with her, said car is missing the required head restraints.
While Josh and Slide are riding in Josh's Chevy Nova, Josh's shoulder belt switches between on and off.
Also, the FBI guys take Shaw to New York State court, located at 60 Centre Street (where many episodes in the Law & Order franchise were shot). IIRC, since Shaw was facing federal charges, he should have been taken to federal court. Which, btw, is located in downtown Brooklyn.