Fun heist flick

Rating: Null/10 (23 June 2003)

Another lightweight heist flick, but still a lot of fun watching the Minis slide slickly through the motions. Given how badly I wanted a Mini after watching this movie, it makes you wonder if BMW didn't have a hand in producing this puppy. The cars--more than the characters-- are really the centerpiece of this flick.
Ed Norton is nearly reprising his role from the unknown Deniro movie called, not surprisingly, "The Heist." In that movie he also plays a double-crossing thief. Norton was far better in that flick than this one though where, as mentioned, he really feels like he's reluctantly reciting the lines off a cue card in front of him. Norton doesn't quite make it for me as a villain anyway. He fully has the confidence and, arguably, the screen presence, but his looks can't carry him all the way, no matter how buff he gets or how many buxom Mexican actresses he beds. Doesn't he still look like a high school band geek to you? And tell the makeup crew who put that mustache on him to look for a new line of work.
None of the other characters are really developed in this flick either, with the possible exception of Charlize Theron's, who strives to give it some depth. Marky Mark is pretty stiff as the head thief and the romantic chemistry between he and Theron has all the excitement of a root canal. At least there were no gratuitous sex scenes where we get to see Marky Mark's underwear yet again. The neatly tied-up final scene where he and Theron are on a romantic gondola ride is baffling, given the lack of development of their relationship.
I liked Seth Green as the geek and the Handsome Rob character--a British accent always soups up the screen. And the guy who played the mountain of a thief -- literally -- made for a pleasant grotesque sideshow touch. It makes you wonder how a guy that fat could make it in the crime business - by sitting on people perhaps? They certainly can't jump through windows and would get winded if they had to stand on a corner dealing dope.
All in all, this movie centers around the Minis. If you want to see these cars in action, this movie is definitely an extended Mini Cooper advertisement.