definitely better than the first

Rating: 8/10 (19 September 2004)

I saw both the original and this re-make and I must say that this is much better than the first. Although, according to the DVD commentary, the writers for this film didn't actually see the original before writing for this one, it really looks as if they did and made a conscious effort to improve on it. Because where the original seemed to meander and drag, this one quickly takes you into the story and continues non-stop until the finish. And while the first lacked emotional punch, the re-make added some via the seeking of revenge for death of the team's father figure. And I liked the way how the mini-cooper was introduced by allowing us to see its usefulness early on in the film so that we could understand the team's choice for it in their heist. In the first film, the mini-coopers were simply arbitrarily chosen with little reason as to why. The heist and getaway plan in this film was more intricate, clever and interesting than the one in the first. In short, this is a fast-paced, exciting and smart film. The original was just too slow and boring. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's better.