Braquage à l'italienne

Greetings again from the darkness. Today's giant movie screens and earth rumbling sound systems make action films an exhilarating experience. Throw in a nice story and some eye candy and it is truly a blast. OK the story is just a reshaping of the original with Michael Caine, but the added humor - mostly supplied by Seth Green ("Austin Powers" and "Knockaround Guys") and the super cool guys - Jason Statham, Marky Mark and veteran Donald Sutherland add a punch to this one. Who am I kidding? The big difference here is the eye candy! The mini-Coopers and Charlize Theron add a touch of Bond. Whether the stunner is driving the fun cars or cracking a safe in her hotel room, she is captivating. The films weak link is the usually dependable Edward Norton who seems to be sleep walking through his role. Maybe he has reached the point where he feels he deserves more screen time. His role is important, but his lackluster performance doesn't ruin the film at all. Would have enjoyed seeing what a meatier performance could have added to the film, though. Anyway, enjoy the ride and the view!

The original 1969 film offered something different. Set mostly in Turin-Italy the film is about a group of clumsy English villains who set out to grab a stash of gold bullion during transit. They find themselves up against it with both the Mafia and the Italian authorities. Much of the film is very typically British from the cast and their accents to the Austin Mini cars (red, white and blue with GB stickers on the back!).

This is one of the few films I can think of that doesn't have a happy ending but it does have the feel good factor and an excellent cliff hanger to boot. When viewed today it obviously lacks some of the refinements we have come to expect from the typical Hollywood blockbuster, some of the acting and camera shots are laughable. However 35 years on it still hold it's own and has many merits including...

Good music Lovely cars 60's Fashion Stunning backdrops Good stunts Original and plausible plot Memorable cliff hanger

A very British film with plenty of character 8/10

The new film is very different to the original movie. In fact most of the good features that the original had going for it were lost. In it's place is a blatant marketing exercise for the new BMW mini mixed in with some good but uninspiring action sequences. The new film starts in Italy but then moves to the U.S. which for me misses the point slightly. I found that the plot involving the traffic light control method used in the new film to be rather geeky and unbelievable at best (another feature that worked better in the old film).

Despite it's faults the film contains some nice action sequences and is watchable (although one viewing is more than enough).

If I hadn't already seen it all before, by itself this might be a great film. However I have and this isn't. 5/10

A few years ago I saw this remake of the sixties classic with the Mini Coopers for the first time and I remember liking it a lot. Now, about two years later it was shown on television and I just wanted to know whether I would still like it as much as when I saw it in the cinema. Well, the answer is yes.

The movie is about a team of robbers that will do one final job in Venice, Italy. The plan is flawless and the execution perfect. They escape and won't have to work for the rest of their lives. But there is one problem they didn't take into account: Someone within their own ranks doesn't like to split the loot, but wants to keep it all for himself, even when that means he will have to kill the rest of the crew. But all but one survive and they are out for revenge. One year later, in Los Angeles this time, the surviving team members create a smart and devious plan to steal back the gold and get their revenge on the traitor...

The story on itself is of course not very original, since this is a remake of the original 1969 movie, but it has plenty of goodies to offer to make you forget about that. This is a typical heist / action movie but it certainly is one of the better ones in its kind. The action is very nice, the landscapes and Venice are real eye-candy, the story is OK and the special effects are stunning. Even the acting is very good, something which you'll not often see in an action movie. I must admit that I really liked what I saw and I give this movie a well deserved 7.5/10.

I went to see THE ITALIAN JOB with mixed reviews in my head. I was pleasantly surprised with an entertaining close to 2 hours. I thought the cast was just great and so were the special effects, with the safe and truck just dropping out of sight. If you like fast paced action movies, this is the one to see.

The Italian Job is a real blast to watch. It's a genuinely entertaining film, something you watch just for the sheer enjoyment of it. It's not heavy with drama or emotional hand-wringing, it has no cosmic statements about life, and it's not violent or profane. It's just a fun movie. Between watching the little Mini Coopers fly around the crowded streets of L.A. and the great bits by stereotypical computer geek-turned-crook (played gleefully by Seth Greene), I had a lot of fun watching this film.

Special kudos to the background music. They truly set a masterful tone for such a movie, so subtle yet keeps you on the edge when needed. Apparently a lot of artists contributed to the music, I found it to be the classiest part of the film.

8 out of 10. Not awe-inspiring but a great film to watch at the end of a lousy day at the office.

Barky