Films about con men are notoriously difficult to pull off. With just the right tone, cast and script, the results can be exhilarating and fresh (Ocean’s Eleven, for instance). But without the perfect elements in place, moviegoers can feel like they’re the ones being swindled. Focus – the latest  vehicle for rapper-turned-TV-actor-turned-biggest-movie-star-on-the-planet Will Smith – toes that line for much of its 105-minute runtime, but ultimately, the film winds up being fun and enticing enough to win over its audience.

Given its subject matter, the plot of Focus becomes increasingly bogged down by complications and twists (which range from clever to groan-inducing), but the heart of the film is focused on the relationship between Margot Robbie’s upstart thief Jess and her mentor/lover Nicky (Smith). Lucky for the film, Robbie and Smith have genuine chemistry onscreen. This fact almost certainly bodes well for next year’s DC Comics release Suicide Squad, in which the two stars will play members of a villain team on attempting to pull off an impossible mission.

Robbie in particular is such a natural talent here that she even manages to outshine Smith’s legendary big-screen appeal (it helps that his character is a bit more restrained than his usual persona). The actress broke out in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street back in 2013 and has since been gaining steam on her way to superstardom. Focus may not be the film that makes her a household name, but it’s clearly a stepping stone along the way.

With the cast all turning in solid performances, the fault for the film’s shortcomings falls to the script. Thought its two leads are fleshed out, the supporting cast of Focus is incredibly one-dimensional, leaving the story feeling lopsided. Moreover, the film’s pacing and story structure undercut its momentum by ditching one story thread midway through and jumping years later to pick up with a less interesting scheme involving both Nicky and Jess. The film wraps this second plan in enough mystery to keep viewers guessing, but its conclusion will surely leave most moviegoers more than a little letdown by the time of the credits roll.

Directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love.) do their best to bring the story to life, and much of Focus purposefully vacillates between light-hearted fun and credible suspense – including a standout sequence featuring BD Wong that leans toward the latter – but, save for the troubled relationship between Nicky and Jess (and the strong showing of their portrayers), the film doesn’t seem concerned with the larger intricacies of the story or, for that matter, a deeper exploration of its central theme of love amidst lies.

All in all, Focus is a solid addition to the crime romp genre, and its R-rating provides a somewhat more adult edge to the material than a more family-friendly offering like Maverick (a similar film that also relies on its two charming leads to smooth over its rough story points). The film simultaneously serves as both a redemption of sorts for Smith following the disappointing critical and financial performance of After Earth and the next stage of Robbie’s rising career. It may not be particularly memorable, but audiences looking for something accessible and easy on the brain (as well as the eyes) should have an enjoyable time at the theater with Focus.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Focus stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, Rodrigo Santoro and BD Wong. It is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and is now in theaters.