Nothing very original happens in “The Instigators.”

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck play Rory and Cobby, two guys desperate for cash who take on a job robbing the mayor put together by an established group gangsters (played by Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina and Jack Harlow). Cobby has a record, but Rory seemingly has never done anything like this before and needs a very specific amount of money to pay off child support and other costs associated with his son.

Things go south when the long-time corrupt mayor (a misused Ron Perlman) loses his re-election bid and the heist isn’t as fruitful as the gangsters thought it would be. Rory and Cobby go on the run, even roping in Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) as a “hostage.”

As I watched the credits roll, I noticed that Affleck co-wrote the film with big brother Ben Affleck and Damon producing it. Honestly, this aligned with the thoughts I already had with the film, that it felt like a group of middle-aged actors trying to reclaim their glory days by making a movie that reminded them of their favorites. “The Instigators” very much feels like “Mid-Life Crisis: The Movie.”

It is very much a not-as-good remake of “Ocean’s 11,” which Damon and the younger Affleck also starred in. At other points in the film, I was also reminded of “Baby Driver,” “Widows” and other recent crime capers that revolve around political corruption and criminal enterprises.

Even the therapist moments of “The Instigators” were reminiscent of “Analyze This” and “Analyze That,” despite how good Chau was in that role here.

There were some good one-liners and the chemistry between Damon, Affleck and Chau was charming at times, but otherwise, “The Instigators” was a disappointment.

All this did was make me want to rewatch “Good Will Hunting,” a much better team up of Damon and the Afflecks.

Rating: 2.5/5