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The Italian Job [2003]
![The Italian Job [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41K84W5QZTL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £1.69 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Though it bears little resemblance to the celebrated 1969 original starring Michael Caine, this 2003 remake of The Italian Job stands on its own as a caper comedy that's well above average. The title's a misnomer--this time it's actually a Los Angeles job--but the action's just as exciting as it propels a breezy tale of honour and dishonour among competing thieves. Inheriting Caine's role as ace heist-planner Charlie Croker, Mark Wahlberg plays straight-man to a well-cast team of accomplices, including Mos Def, Jason Statham and scene-stealer Seth Green in a variation of the role originally played by Noel Coward. As the daughter of Croker's ill-fated mentor (Donald Sutherland), Charlise Theron is recruited to double-cross a double-crosser (Edward Norton in oily villain mode), and once again, speedily versatile Mini Coopers (this time, the modern BMW versions) play a pivotal role in director F Gary Gray's exhilarating car-chase climax. It's perhaps the greatest product placement in movie history, and just as fun the second time around. --Jeff Shannon
good stuff
Review date: 2008-06-07 Rating: 6 out of 10
really entertaining fluff thats well acted and great fun.its snappy punchy movie thats worth a look
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Reviews
Not perfect, but very good.
Review date: 2008-01-27 Rating: 8 out of 10
Film about a company of master thieves who plan the perfect heist of millions of dollars worth of gold bullion in Venice and pull it off, only to be double-crossed by one of their own, Steve (played by Edward Norton), who kills the leader of the company John Bridger (played by Donald Sutherland) and leaves the rest of the company for dead, making off with the gold bullion. But the other members of the company do not die, and, led by former second in command Charlie Croker (played by Mark Wahlberg) vow to avenge their leader's death and recover the gold bullion. When a year later they track down Steve living the good life in Los Angeles, they enlist the help of John Bridger's daughter and highly skilled safe cracker Stella (played by Charlize Theron) to help them avenge their leader's and her father's death and also recover the gold bullion. The heist is on.
Comments: I found this to be a commendable movie. There are good action sequences in the two main locales of Venice and Los Angeles in which the film is set, the heist scenes are very clever, the main characters all gel well, there is some wry humour and the iconic elements from the 60s original - such as the Minis and the gold bullion - are all in place. I have not seen the original so I cannot compare the two films but this film was very good, although I felt the ending could have had more impact. Nonetheless this is a very well made - if not perfect - film. Go and see it.
A sickeningly awful travesty of a classic film
Review date: 2008-01-20 Rating: 2 out of 10
I must admit, I was against this movie from the outset but I tried my hardest to be impartial, I really did, but the very idea of remaking a sophisticated, witty, entertaining, quirky British classic full of character has to be dubious from the outset.
People in my house were watching this so I swallowed my pride and told myself to be professional about films (I have studied them at Uni after all).
As expected for an American film of this sort, the movie began with a chase which wasn't bad. Indeed, many of the action sequences are credible and this alone lifts the mark.
Yet the characterisation was abysmal, the set-pieces could very easily have been spliced from any American schlock blockbuster you might have had the misfortune to watch and it lacked all character.
Seeming to take a skewed angle on the original film with a failed initial robbery, the US version does the predictable thing and introduces an emotional factor with the death of Donald Sutherland's character. This allows our US cousins plenty of opportunity for sycophantic, dewy-eyed vengeance-seeking against the 'evil-doers' which it milks to predictable excesses. This is never more so evident as in the scenes featuring Charlize Theron (oh pretty! oh so pretty! Look at her pretty, wounded Bambi eyes, everyone!) which were thoroughly nauseating. Her entrance scene, particularly, was like something out of Resident Evil or Tomb Raider which were both a) more entertaining and b) had better beginnings because they couldn't mess up a game like they could with British cinema which was already chock-full of spark, people you genuinely feel something for and moments of inspiration. But I digress, the whole inclusion of a pretty girl for the sake of it just seems like the most ham-fisted manoeuvre I've seen in some time and exposes cynical Hollywood blockbuster-lust for what it is.
If you like any of these actors, by the way, and you agree with any of the above comments, DO NOT GO TO SEE THIS FILM! If I had the opportunity of watching 'Fight Club' or 'American History X' after seeing Ed Norton in this, I would have declined. Likewise Jason Statham with 'Lock Stock' (and I suppose 'The Transporter' is okay if you like that sort of thing).
Sadly, all the set-pieces are designed in the most transparent possible way to get you thinking, 'Wow! He's smart!', 'Coo! He's cool!', 'Hey! What a tough guy!'. Then there's the 'funny PC guy' who has 'comic relief' splattered across his forehead but whose humour content can be anticipated two minutes in advance. To be honest, if you've seen one or two films like it, you might easily confuse the two as clones from the Jerry Bruckheimer stable. Not that Jerry is irredeemably awful, by the way, but he just uses the cliches to excess as everyone knows (or should).
This is where I have to come clean. I didn't manage to make it to the end, so I couldn't even say whether the brilliant ending in the Michael Caine version made it but, I'm sorry, it's just one of those extremely rare films that, if I'd seen it at a cinema, I would have walked out and staged a small protest outside. It's not just that it is another identical by-the-numbers Ocean's 14 or something (Ocean's Eleven was fine but don't bother with the rest!) with all the glitz, glamour, fake sass and pantomime heroics of such a film but I couldn't recognise anything from the original at all.
So, if you are expecting 'THE ITALIAN JOB' and not 'OCEAN'S 14' albeit badly written with a less established cast and characters, some disingenuous elements and cardboard cut-out script-writing then DO NOT WATCH! I don't mind people liking a bit of mindless fun but this is a criminal hatchett-job that does not deserve in any way to parade itself under the title of a classic. Seriously, show some pride! I felt thoroughly justified in my outraged and sickened reaction when I first heard that the film would be made. Avoid at all costs!
Fantastic, an action movie with a great plot!
Review date: 2007-11-09 Rating: 10 out of 10
I love the original italian job movie and so was wondering how they would approach a modern remake. Well i have to say that this is NOT the italian job. that is to say it is not a remake of the original film, it is simply inspired by the original in as much as minis are used and it copies the idea of a great plot and lots of action. Other than that, there is no similarity. The plots of both movies are entirely different, the charactors are completely different and this movie stands on its own two feet as a great family action movie.
I would urge you to buy this at the great price ive seen it for sale at, before the shops realise what a great movie this is and put their prices up! Seriously, get some pop corn, some friends or the whole family, pull up a sofa and settle in for the ride. Action, Laughs and a great story, what more could you want?
LEAVE THE CLASSICS ALONE
Review date: 2007-10-24 Rating: 2 out of 10
Why did they do it? YOU CANNOT COPY THE ITALIAN JOB.
They tried to put a slightly different spin on the story but the updated technology, including new shpae Mini's just didn't work.
HANDS OFF HOLLYWOOD
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Charlize Theron
Jason Statham
Seth Green
Mark Wahlberg
Donald Sutherland
Creators:
Mark Wahlberg (Primary Contributor)
Charlize Theron (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment
EAN: 5014437836137
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2004-03-08
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 106 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2003-05-30
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Italian (Original Language)
Language: Russian (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Swedish (Subtitled)
Language: Danish (Subtitled)
Language: Norwegian (Subtitled)
Language: Finnish (Subtitled)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: Bulgarian (Subtitled)
Language: Icelandic (Subtitled)
Language: Arabic (Subtitled)
Language: Turkish (Subtitled)
Language: Polish (Subtitled)
Language: Romanian (Subtitled)
Language: Czech (Subtitled)
Language: Hungarian (Subtitled)