Today’s quick review: The Italian Job. After a successful job in Italy, professional thief Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) and his crew are betrayed by one of their own. Steve (Edward Norton) kills Charlie’s mentor John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and steals the job’s $35 million in gold. When he resurfaces a year later, Charlie recruits Stella (Charlize Theron), John’s daughter, to help his crew steal back the gold from Steve’s Los Angeles home.
A remake of the 1969 Michael Caine film of the same name, The Italian Job is a tidy heist film with an unusually good cast. The premise is simple: a gang of thieves attempts to get revenge on the man who betrayed them by stealing his fortune. With an interesting heist, decent excitement, and low levels of violence, The Italian Job is an entertaining watch with few weaknesses.
The cast is what sets The Italian Job apart from other crime films. In addition to Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, and Edward Norton, the cast includes Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland, who are all well-used. The characters are simple but effective, and their offhanded banter gives the movie its undercurrent of comedy. Though not the focus of the film, the characters give it a sense of liveliness that similar films often lack.
Beyond its cast, The Italian Job is a well-executed but standard crime film. The plot revolves around the heist, with only a light dusting of drama sprinkled on top. The heist itself takes a few liberties with computers, but otherwise relies on a good mix of planning, adaptation, and stunt driving. Compared to the original Italian Job, the remake has more action and better characters but lacks the original’s style and finesse.
Watch The Italian Job when you are in the mood for a light heist film with a good cast. Fans of Ocean’s Eleven will appreciate The Italian Job as a somewhat weaker but still worthy film in the same vein. Skip it if you are looking for a drama or a thriller.
7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for good characters and an interesting plot.