Rating: 
Summary: Sir Michael Caine Should Be Proud!!!!
Review: As a Mini owner-the identical twin of Charley's in this film-and as a fan of the original Italian Job, I felt an obligation to go and see this film. I must admit I went expecting to be let down. I mean, no one makes action movies like they used to, right? WRONG!!! I was delighted to find that this is a real, old-school, action-upon-more-action film. From the first chase sequence through the cramped canals of Venice, you get the impression that you're in for a very exciting ride. And it only gets better! Not only are the chase scenes elaborate and perfectly choreographed, but the plot is clear and straight forward. No useless side plot/love story thrown in for the ladies....Thankfully!!! The cast was great too. Everyone was perfect for their role. Mark Whalburgh is perfect as the likeable thief, Charley. Donald Southerland is great as the aging robber and mentor to Charley, although I think this would have been a perfect role for Michael Caine. Edward Norton is the slimiest slime ball ever!!!! Seth Green is hilarious as always. And Jason Statham, well I've had a crush on him since Lock Stock!!! But the real stars are the three Mini Coopers. They race around through packed streets, on sidewalks, and through subway tunnels. They take sharp turns, flights of stairs, and the highest jumps like they were nothing. I saw the original Italian Job when I was 10 and it made me want a Mini, this film made me proud that I own one!!!A top film all round and worth going to see....several times!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Job Well Done!
Review: The Italian Job is a breath of fresh air in a year that has been filled with many dissapointing action pictures and popcorn films. While the summer season has started off great, the winter and spring were filled with mediocre offerings like The Hunted, Basic, and Tears of the Sun. The Italian Job does what those films did not. It takes a plot we've seen many times before, the heist genre, and adds humor, good action scenes and characters that we actually care about to create a very entertaining film. The plot is simple enough: Six thieves complete an amazing heist in Italy, when one of the thieves double cross the rest of the team and takes off with the gold, killing the elder thief and leaving the rest of the tean for dead. The rest of the film revolves around the thieves, aided by the deceased thief's daughter, and their quest for revenge against their former colleague. The action scenes are fast paced and very crisped, and they do a better job of making mini coopers look fun and exciting than The Bourne Identity, another surprise summer hit from last year. The cast is quite good for the most part. Edward Norton was very good as the thief who betrayed the team. He seemed angry and slimy throughout the film. That might have been more about his disdain for having to make the film than his acting, as a contractual oblogation with Paramount forced him to do this film. Charlize Theron did a very good job as a safecracker, who is in the heist to avenge her father's death. Seth Green is very funny as the standard computer geek. Jason Stratham and Mos Def also provide comic relief as bickering partners who function as the driver and the explosives expert. Donald Sutherland puts in a nice performance as the elder thief, as we truly believe his experineces and knowledge. The only actor that I was not pleased with was the film's star, Mark Wahlberg. He comes off as extremely stiff, and his character is the only one without a personality. He's likable because he's the leader and we know he is a good guy, but he had no chemistry with Theron and he is the least memorable character in the film. With that being said, he doesn't ruin the film and the film provides enough action, humor, twists and turns to make it an incredible thrill ride from beginning to end. This film should do well in the weeks ahead as it does pleaseIt is definitely worth your time if you want to see a fun movie.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Film
Review: The actors were great! The lines were well written! This movie has it all: comedy, action, romance, drama, suspense, and of course the gorgeous Mr. Edward Norton. It's worth watching just to see the stunts they do with those cars!
Rating:
Summary: A confection of a caper movie
Review: Senseless plot twists, daring escapes, clever cinematography--these are staples of the heist movie, and "The Italian Job" makes the most of them. Now THIS is a caper movie! It has sparkling locations (Venice, anyone?), dead-on humor (mostly revealed in the patter of Mos Def [the best rapper-turned-actor in the business--I know that isn't saying much, but he is truly terrific]and Seth Green [who needs Buffy?]), those funny little Mini Cooper cars (a blatant advertisement, but who cares?), and action, action, action. Ed Norton, who couldn't hide his acting skills under a barrel, adds Stud Muffin to his repetoire, as he is strangely sexy in his Gary Oldman-lookalike getup, reprising the role as the Judas-like scoundrel from "The Score" and adopting his mustachioed, tall-haired look from "25th Hour." The only odd note: Mark Wahlberg. He and Charlize Theron, who is wasted here, poor girl (remember "Reindeer Games"?), don't generate enough sparks to give Tom Hanks hope on his deserted island, but they just keep on rubbing and rubbing and rubbing. Further, Wahlberg's looks simply don't lend themselves to the quicksilver charm of the character; see "The Truth about Charlie" if you're still not convinced that he should NOT be cast in these kinds of parts. His looks are too pugnacious, and his acting is too obvious. Aside from those objections, though, this flick reminds you that movies can be fun and that they're not all intended to be "Gandhi," "Adaptation," or some Ingmar Bergman creation.
Rating:
Summary: "I liked him, right up until the moment I shot him."
Review: Well done! Now THIS is what I call a popcorn movie. No big drama, no great life issues; just a fun plot, great action, and good looking people packing the screen. "The Italian Job", a remake of the 1969 Michael Caine flick, is cinema escapism at its best and a great bet for a Friday night date.Mark Wahlberg stars as Charlie, acting head of a gang of high-tech, high class thieves. He's taking over for his mentor (played by the always welcome Donald Sutherland) as his team sets up a brilliant scheme for $35,000,000 in gold bars (the "Italian Job" of the title).
But things don't go quite as planned, and one year later Charlie reassembles his mates, plus his mentor's daughter (Charlize Theron) to take revenge on the man who betrayed them and set things right once and for all. The action here is splendid, imaginative and well filmed. The script is tight, with plenty of snappy lines to go around (including a great running gag about just who invented Napster) and the musical score is surprisingly nice. All the actors have fun with their roles, especially Seth Green as a computer geek and Edward Norton as the slimy bad guy. And of course there's Wahlberg. I like Mark Wahlberg. I can't help it. I like him more with every movie he makes. I like his quiet, confident walk, his little boy smile, and the way his forehead crinkles whenever somebody yells at him. He seems to actually get better looking as the movie goes along, and his chemistry with Theron is low-key but sexy. I give "The Italian Job" five stars not because it was a masterpiece, but because I had a great time and know the film will hold up well with future viewings (it was a lot like "Ocean's Eleven" in this regard). Go on and see it; you'll like it. And probably want a Mini when you get out. GRADE: A- (By the way, I LOVED the way our heroes never carried guns or shot anybody. Old school baby!)
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Saturday Night Movie!
Review: This movie does exactly what it sets out to do - entertain and show off the Mini Cooper. That's why I give it 5 stars - not because it's Oscar material, it's not trying to be, but because it accomplishes its goal with incredible surety and finesse. While parts of the plot have been done before, such as the master criminal who wants one last job before going straight and ends up dying, it never feels cliched. Everything about this movie gels. The basic plot is a crew of criminals pull off a job - without guns - stealing gold bars. One of them decides he wants the whole shebang and steals from his pals. A year later, they try to steal the money back. Donald Sutherland is wonderful as the master criminal mentor. Why does this actor not work more often? It's a real shame. He manages to be heartfelt, funny, wise and even sexy. A real star. Mark Whalberg underplays his straight-man part as the junior master criminal, and it's a good choice as the rest of his crew is very colorful, so he gives balance to the ensemble. Seth Green does what he does best - don't ever grow up, Seth! Jason Stratham, the British actor, has a chance to relax in a non-death/bullets everywhere type movie and reallly shines. When he turns on his mojo to ensnare the actress from The Man Show, you can practically smell his testosterone. Instead of hearing how he manages to charm his target, we get hysterical dialogue supplied by nerdy, woman-challenged Seth Green as he watches in admiration and frustration. Charlize Theron has never been spunkier or more vulnerable as the daughter of Sutherland. She drives fast and cracks million-dollar safes and makes it all very believable. Edward Norton is truly slimey - a crook with no imagination, who spends his ill-gotten gains on the very toys his betrayed comrades wished for, in effect, stealing from them twice. The director manages both his ensemble cast and the action with a deft touch. The movie never drags but instead has a nice varying dynamic from fast to slow to fast again. Unlike "Oceans Eleven," things go wrong in this movie, plans are changed. The music is a nice blend of hard-pounding soundtrack and classic songs. The two chase scenes are very fun - the first being motorboats in Venice canals, the second of course the Mini Coopers driving through tunnels, by trains, up on sidewalks, and through aquaducts. The cars seem cooler than any of James Bond's by the end of the movie. Comparisons with "Oceans Eleven" and "The Score" are inevitable and I have to say I liked this movie better than either of them. "The Score" was tired, slow and pretty much boring, just really run of the mill. "Oceans Eleven" was fun, but it was a movie that showcased its stars. It was pure Hollywood, sterile, clean, no one really gets hurt and there's no hint of danger. This movie is grittier and shows not only the master criminals but the seamier side of crime such as the Ukrainian mobsters who make our mafia look like schoolchildren. Justice is certainly served by the end of the movie, but they very cannily leave it up to our imagination. This movie is definitely worth full price at the theaters, and worth seeing on the large screen. It's also one to own, for the soundtrack if nothing else.
Rating:
Summary: Mindless Fun!!!
Review: Starring: Mark Wahlberg
Charlize Theron
Edward Norton
Seth Green
Jason Statham
Mos Def
Donald Sutherland Directed by: F. Gary Gray (Friday, A Man Apart) The Italian Job is a fast-paced, entertaining, and fun crime caper. In a year of pointless remakes, this one fairs very well and boasts a terrific cast who deliver excellent performances. The admittedly cliched plot follows the same set-up as most caper films, including the recent "Ocean's 11" and "The Good Thief," which, despite the hype, was boring and poorly edited: a crew get together to pull of a heist, the characters are briefly introduced, the preparation is set forth,and finally, it comes time to complete the heist, with lots going wrong. Despite the formulaic scenario, director F. Gary Gray's execution was high-energy and exciting, so the lackluster plot can easily be overlooked. One brilliant twis in the film has our characters rigging the stoplights of Los Angeles so they can drive right out of the city with a carful of gold (in a safe that they're stealing back after their double-crossing ex-partner, played by Edward Norton, stole it from them), with nothing but green lights, while everyone else gets red lights, thus keeping the roads plugged with the largest traffic jam in L.A. history and the police from pursuing them.
All this leads to well-staged speedboat and car chases which produces nail-biting suspense in beautiful locations. From start to finish, the filmmakers rarely pass up a joke--they even find a way to use Napster inventor Shawn Fanning in a very funny cameo. It's true the movie may have a few plot holes, and, yes, it works a little too hard to sell a happy ending, which is the only aspect of the film that DIDN'T work. But this kind of pure escapist fare can get away with a certain amount of flaws through high spirits and sheer inventiveness - both abundant qualities in The Italian Job. It's an adventure and a character study and a hoot-and-a-half worth of laughs. Frankly, all summer movies should be this much fun.
Rating:
Summary: Hugely entertaining (Seattle Sneak 5/28/03)
Review: As a new MINI Cooper owner (GRNSTRK, Washington), I was looking forward to seeing this movie, partly due to my husband's raving about the 1969 version, partly because I can rarely identify so closely with something in a film (the escape vehicles). Like watching "Monster's Garage" turn a new MINI into a snowmobile, I wish I could have seen in more detail what modifications were made to the car to make them be able to carry the weight of the loot (2,700 pounds each). But this story was not about MINI Coopers, it was about what everyone else has written about. I truly enjoyed the humor, action and pace of this film. And the Coopers got enough screen time, I enjoyed seeing them put thru their paces, since mine will never see THAT kind of driving action.
Rating: 
Summary: Previews give away too much
Review: The preview give you all the cool action sequences so there isnt a lot of surprises. Norton and Wahlberg seems emotionless with their action. The more comedic scenes are with Seth Green. The best part has to be the soundtrack and the use of Pink Floyd.
Rating:
Summary: The Italian Job
Review: I loved the film....it was fast-paced and although sometimes the trailer shows the whole movie, I love the technology, Seth Green was great....and I really liked Mark Wahlberg's anchoring role. I highly recommend this movie and the biggest star of the movie, the minnie cooper should sell not only the movie, but the car!
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