The original version of "The Italian Job" was released in 1969, and it starred Michael Caine. I never saw it, but I heard that it was pretty good. Now it's 2003, and the remake has been released. I didn't have much interest in it, but the reviews were surprisingly good, so I decided to check it out. Well, the movie isn't a masterpiece, but what matters is whether or not I was entertained, and I was definitely entertained.
Supposedly, despite this being a remake of the 1969 film, the two films have very little in common. Film critic Roger Ebert pointed out that the only thing they have in common is that they both utilize Mini Coopers for a key heist. The 1969 film used the old Mini Coopers that haven't been produced in years. The new film uses the revamped version, which was introduced in 2001. Some may think that the Mini Coopers used in this film are merely product placement, but that's actually not the case (though it WAS used as product placement in "Austin Powers in Goldmember"). With both versions of "The Italian Job," the Mini Cooper is used because it's the only car small enough to do what needs to be done. In fact, the script for the remake was written before the Mini Cooper was re-introduced, so in the early stages, they thought they'd be using the old Mini Coopers.
Anyway...
Though I like "The Italian Job," I have a problem with the actor chosen to play the main character. Mark Wahlberg was good in "Boogie Nights," but since then, he's proven that he doesn't have what it takes to be a leading man. I think he's more of the supporting actor type, but he keeps getting cast in starring roles. I'm sure some of you disagree with me, but what can I say? That's how I feel. Mark Wahlberg is definitely the weakest link in the film, but the rest of the cast is really good.
Charlize Theron looks better than I've ever seen her, and that's a big statement considering how gorgeous she usually looks. Not only that, she's a very good actress, even if she's been in some pretty bad movies lately ("Reindeer Games" and "Sweet November"), but everyone makes mistakes, right? Seth Green is in the movie as a character named "Lyle" (though he insists on being called "Napster"... you have to see the movie to find out why, and it's pretty funny). Seth Green is perfectly cast in the role, and in it, he does what he does best. Jason Statham is also very good (he needs all the help he can get, since starring in the awful movie, "The Transporter"), and I like how he interacted with the other characters. Mos Def, who may be the most talented rapper/actor I've ever seen, is great, as usual. He's got a very natural delivery that's very believable, and he never plays the same role twice. Watch him in this movie, then watch him in "Bamboozled" and "Monster's Ball." You'll see what I mean. Finally, Edward Norton is in the film, and it's fun watching him play this kinda character. He's one of the best actors in the business, and he's as good as you'd expect him to be.
"The Italian Job" was directed by F. Gary Gray (he also directed "A Man Apart," "The Negotiator," "Set It Off," and "Friday"), and he did a pretty good job with this film. My only complaint is that some scenes were slow, and coulda used some trimming, but other than that, I like what he did. The screenplay was written by the husband and wife writing team of Donna Powers & Wayne Powers (together they helped write "Valentine" and "Deep Blue Sea"). It was a good script, very well thought out. A little far-fetched, but they wrote an entertaining script.
Oh, look out for a little homage to Michael Caine. There's this part where Edward Norton's character is watching a movie on his big-screen TV. That movie is "Alfie," which starred Michael Caine.
Fine, "The Italian Job" isn't perfect, and I'm sure that there's plenty of things in the movie to nitpick, but I enjoyed it. I just wanted to be entertained, and I was. I got my money's worth.
Scale of 1-10: 8