Release Date:
05/30/2003
It’s the perfect plan: Take Marky Mark and hand him a Funky Bunch comprised of Scott Evil, a Brit named Turkish, a reformed neo-Nazi, and rapper Mos Def, and form a supergang of high-stakes international thieves. Excited yet? Well, we tried.
Actually, The Italian Job isn’t quite as good as even that description, and it’s uncomfortably similar to recent heist remake Oceans 11 (right down to the acid jazz soundtrack and “urban” demolitions expert). Still, it’s hard to go terribly wrong with nonstop explosions, car chases, and Charlize Theron. The movie begins with the gang’s dramatic smash-and-grab of $35 million in gold bars. Unfortunately, Edward Norton (whose mustache-and-flavor-saver combo informs us that he’s the villain) betrays them and makes off with the loot himself, blowing some holes into their scheme…and Donald Sutherland’s chest. The gang’s leader, Charlie Croker (Wahlberg), vows revenge for the lost gold and his mentor’s death, and reorganizes the gang to re-re-steal the bars. The result is a consistently engaging caper flick devoid of slow spots. And as an added bonus, you won’t see George Clooney strutting around like he’s goddamned Dean Martin.
Actually, The Italian Job isn’t quite as good as even that description, and it’s uncomfortably similar to recent heist remake Oceans 11 (right down to the acid jazz soundtrack and “urban” demolitions expert). Still, it’s hard to go terribly wrong with nonstop explosions, car chases, and Charlize Theron. The movie begins with the gang’s dramatic smash-and-grab of $35 million in gold bars. Unfortunately, Edward Norton (whose mustache-and-flavor-saver combo informs us that he’s the villain) betrays them and makes off with the loot himself, blowing some holes into their scheme…and Donald Sutherland’s chest. The gang’s leader, Charlie Croker (Wahlberg), vows revenge for the lost gold and his mentor’s death, and reorganizes the gang to re-re-steal the bars. The result is a consistently engaging caper flick devoid of slow spots. And as an added bonus, you won’t see George Clooney strutting around like he’s goddamned Dean Martin.