Phenomenal action, Somewhat generic story.

Rating: 6/10 (20 July 2009)

There are movies that you absolutely MUST see before you die (Shawshank Redemption, Good Bad and Ugly, etc). There are movies that are very good, but one little factor kept them from being classics (The Bourne Trilogy). And then there are movies that you kick back and watch on Friday night. Italian Job is the latter.
This was a very fun movie to watch, and the action in it was very well choreographed, no doubt. This had some of the best chase scenes I think I have ever scene. The acting was good as well. How could it not be? Modern greats like Wahlberg, Theron, Statham, and others were all cast in this movie in ideal roles for their style. But the thing that keeps this movie from being something truly special is the most important element in a good film- the storyline.
Let's be honest. How many times have we seen movies that revolve around a group of criminals that go after someone else that in most cases double-crossed them? This storyline simply does not have anything unique in it that sets it apart from any other action/crime film.
Reservoir Dogs had the unique characters and unpredictable story. Godfather was sheerly epic. Italian Job was......just a fun little movie.
This was one of those movies. We've all seen them. They have so much potential to be something great, but they don't have anything truly original in them, and they end up becoming nothing more than a standard action flick. I'm not saying this is bad, because it's a very fun movie to watch. I'm just saying if you are looking for something special that will leave you in awe, this isn't it.
6/10