Pretty and Light weight

Rating: 5/10 (22 December 2005)

I missed at least 10 minutes of the beginning of "The Italian Job" due to wrong times in the listings, but I seem to have gotten there just in time for any of the key plot points that were referred to later in the movie.
This is a breezy robbers vs. robbers movie with none of the character gravitas nor noir sexual tension of "The Good Thief" or even the cute interplays and dialog of a similarly re-made "Ocean's 11."
The chase scenes are very entertaining in neat surroundings, but with little of the life-and-death suspense of "Ronin" or "French Connection," maybe because all that's involved is money, ho hum, whether it's $35 million or $27 million.
Maybe because Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are just too light-weight here. Edward Norton is wasted as a one-dimensional villain; even Wahlberg's character disparages him as lacking imagination. At least for once a distinction is made between Ukrainian and Russian criminals.
There's a fun cover version of Pink Floyd's "Money" by Scott Weiland, Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum (last 3 are ex-members of Guns 'N' Roses) in the movie twice at least, but is NOT on the soundtrack CD.
It is nice to see that the robbers' goal is to catch an Amtrak train; public and freight transportation could use the plug.
(originally written 9/7/2003)