The Italian Job (2003)

The first two acts hit all the right beats for a fun heist plot, including a couple well-timed “wrench-in-the-plan” twists, keeping it engaging through some less-than-stellar humour and characterization (Theron’s Stella is tragically reduced to nothing more than a “got girl” by movie’s end in a vomit-inducing end credits scene). The great car-chase action of the third act, meanwhile, leads to a less than satisfying deus-ex-machina ending courtesy of some unnecessary side characters.

4

The Italian Job (1969)

Comic caper movie about a plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin by creating a traffic jam. (IMDb)

Uneven, at best: Paper thin and forgettable characters pepper a mediocre heist plot marked by either awkwardly blatant exposition (see the crew introductions) or virtually none at all (was the winding escape route part of the plan? Who knows)–yet there is some unique camerawork, and a scrumptiously classy soundtrack improves everything it touches (the tedious silent driving scenes later on only emphasize this). An unexpected and amusing cliffhanger ending (literally) ends things on a good note.

6/10 (Mediocre)