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THE ITALIAN JOB Send This Review to a Friend
This remake stands solidly on its own without the need to worry about whether justice was done to the 1969 flick. "The Italian Job" does a nice job of entertaining, crammed with plenty of high tech savvy, obligatory chases that manage to be different and a colorful star cast. It is zippy in a modern way, and while not rivaling the classics in the genre, it offers enjoyment for those who like heist, double-cross and retribution action exploits.
For starters the scene is Venice, where a gang of experienced thieves plans to make off with $35 million in gold bars with a getaway on the Venice's fabled canals. Chief culprits include Donald Sutherland as John Bridger, Mark Wahlberg as Charlie Croker, Edward Norton as Steve Frizelli, Seth Green as Lyle, Jason Statham as Handsome Rob, and Mos Def as Left-Ear. A human dimension is introduced. Sutherland phones his daughter, for whom he hasn't been enough of a present dad, and this is supposed to be his last caper. (When have we heard that before?) Unfortunately Sutherland, very good as usual, isn't in the picture for long. There's the old double-cross.
After a time leap, Stella, Bridger's daughter (Charlize Theron) assumes a major role. She's a whiz at safes and working legitimately as a safe expert. Charlie shows up and wants to ring her in on a scheme to steal back the gold from the betrayer. She hesitates, but the temptation to avenge her father gives her the motivation to say yes. A new caper by those who were cheated is on, and that's where it all gets interesting. Theron, who manages to look different as well as beautiful in whatever role she plays, is super cool in doing her bit, at least up to a point.
There are some good comic moments, a number of them provided by Green, who insists that he had the idea for Napster and it was stolen from him by his college roommate. He's a genius as a hacker; he can tap into the Los Angeles road light system to cause gridlock and leave only the desirable pathways. Much is made of the high tech possibilities--nothing new in caper films these days--but it is done with panache and the way everything can be manipulated or surveyed is enough to make one wonder whether there can be such a thing as privacy anymore for anyone.
After much maneuvering against the target--you know charismatic Ed Norton has to have a bigger role than mentioned so far--the caper, the effort to thwart it, the confrontations, the permutations and the ultimate chase and showdown are on full blast. At one point a helicopter chases a car into a confined area.
There's sort of a letdown when all is settled, but until then, you know whom to root for among the thieves and can enjoy their triumph. F. Gary Gray directed from a screenplay by Donna Powers and Wayne Powers based on the original film written by Troy Martin. The new version at least gives you a diverting ride for your money. A Paramount Pictures release.
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