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Marking the first English-language film for Swiss director Baran bo Odar, Sleepless – the American remake of the 2011 French thriller Sleepless Night – is the latest Vegas-set actioner that, despite its relatively stylish premise and a handful of seemingly well-executed action scenes, doesn’t seem to go to great lengths to impress or present anything different.

Penned by Straight Outta Campton’s Andreas Berloff, Sleepless has been described by many as a poor cross between Taken, Die Hard and Bourne.  Filled with dirty-cop clichés and an overwhelming dose of creative laziness, the end-result ultimately reduces the movie’s potential of turning into something a lot bolder, grittier and darker.

Set on the glittering streets of Vegas, the story is centred on homicide detective Vincent Downs (Foxx phoning in a surprisingly flat performance) who, along with his partner-in-crime, Sean Cass (played by rapper T.I), enjoys making his fortunes by robbing drug dealers on the side. When the movie opens, we see the two law-officers involved in a frenzied car chase, having just stolen a large shipment of cocaine from Stanley Rubino (Mulroney); a sleazy casino owner who works with one of the most dangerous and seemingly demented drug lords, Rob Novak (McNairy).

Their actions soon lead to Vincent’s teenage son, Thomas (Johnson), being kidnapped by the mobsters– something that he chooses to keep from his ex-wife Dena (Union) – and Vincent is soon forced to return the stolen stash to Stanley’s casino.  Complicating matters further is the presence of Jennifer Bryant (Monaghan); an internal affairs officer who is determined to prove just how dirty Vincent really is.

Sleepless starts things off on a relatively positive note, opening with an engaging shoot-out and fast-paced car chase, with the story not wasting any time before introducing the audience to the lies and dirty deeds of its world. However, the story soon loses focus and drops the ball by bringing in more characters than it can handle, instilling the movie with an unfocused energy which ultimately gives way for the absurdity of the script – and plenty of police clichés.

Foxx’s performance is equally mediocre and whilst his physical abilities are certainly impressive, it’s the actor’s usual charm and wit is completely missing from the picture. Meanwhile, McNairy does a fine job as the psychotic drug lord who won’t let anything stop him in his venture of taking over his father’s business, while Monaghan struggles to sell the credibility of her character throughout the minutes.

Forgoing everything that made the original movie great – clever plot, relentless action and a gritty atmosphere – Sleepless fails to impress, coming across as another hollow and a mediocre Hollywood remake that lacks the courage and the ambition to create something memorable.