A satisfyingly entertaining re-make with a techno-approach, with equal suspenseful fun and humor of a heist with mini-coopers and traffic jam in L.A.

Rating: 7/10 (1 June 2003)

"The Italian Job" 1969 I fondly remember - those three red, white and blue mini FIATs scooting around dodging the Italian police - high and low, whizzing up onto the top of a dome or splashing down by the waters, a 15 minutes worth of quite a caper of chase through Turin. It was a British-Italian production from Paramount, then "A Gulf + Western Company," directed by Peter Collinson with Michael Caine as Charlie Crocker, and Noël Coward as Mr. Bridger, a figure in prison well-respected - there lies the British humor to the plot. The opening and ending frames were also memorable: Rossano Brazzi driving a cool red sports car while Matt Monroe singing "On Days Like These" (music by Quincy Jones, lyrics by Don Black), and pardon the pun, a cliff-hanger of a bus with the essential glistening load and Caine uttering, "hang on a minute, lads, I got a great idea" ending with a rallying chorus singing the catchy tune "The Self-Preservation Society"...amusing, indeed.
"The Italian Job" 2003, also produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by F. Gary Gray ("Set It Off" 1996, "The Negotiator" 1998) with refreshed screenplay by Donna and Wayne Powers of Troy Kennedy-Martin's original script, successfully delivered matching fun and humor with a smaller concentrated team of six - well, it's Mark Wahlberg as Charlie with three essential partners: Seth Green the computer whiz "Napster" Lyle, Jason Statham (of "Transporter" 2002) as Handsome Rob the car expert, Mos Def as Left Ear the explosive expert (that 'don't do dogs' as the trailer suggested). Also there's Donald Sutherland and Charlize Theron, as father and daughter John and Stella Bridger - both expert safe crackers, and from the trailer, we know already, Ed Norton as Steve the betraying nemesis. We actually get double scoops of action thrills of two heist setups in this version. An exciting start and the pacing throughout keeps audience going, rooting for Charlie and co.
Here we also have three mini-coopers in blue, red and white. They also gave fêtes of acrobatic agility: speeding down subway steps, flying high jumps, swirling through splashing cylindrical tunnel, down to the "open the door" routine that finishes off a pursuant on bike. The Powers' script had fun with the key players, giving each specific characteristics that provided chuckling amusement. The plot may be nothing new to a heist story, but it's tight and just as suspenseful with its modern day techno approaches. The father and daughter drama gave Theron a more substantial woman's role than Angelina Jolie's in "Gone in Sixty Seconds" (2000). All in all, this is an entertaining Hollywood caper with satisfying ending guaranteed.