Kevin Hart and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Lift | Films | Entertainment

What goes up must come down. Sadly, F Gary Gray’s high-altitude action thriller hits dramatic turbulence and goes into a tailspin during a preposterous opening sequence set in Venice, which establishes the light-fingered credentials of criminal Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart) and his five-strong crew, who profess to “rescue works of art from undeserving owners”.

Interpol agent Abby Gladwell (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) promises full immunity with the blessing of her slippery boss (Sam Worthington) if the gang steals half a billion dollars of gold bullion from the hi-tech vault of an airborne passenger jet. The ingots belong to investment banker Lars Jorgensen (Jean Reno), who bankrolls terrorist groups and profits from the chaos they inflict on financial markets.

Fasten your seatbelts because Lift is a bumpy ride.

Director Gray previously sat behind the wheel of the eighth instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise so he is well acquainted with turbo-charged missions that defy the laws of physics.

Daniel Kunka’s script demands multiple suspensions of disbelief above 40,000ft but neglects to flesh out Hart’s cohorts in crime beyond their roles in the heist: pilot, safecracker, master of disguise, engineer and hacker.

If crime pays then why does Gray’s picture leave me feeling horribly short-changed?

LIFT IS OUT NOW ON NETFLIX