Italian Job: minis act better than Wahlberg

A fast-paced remake of the 1969 classic, The Italian Job is a thrilling heist film that pulls out all the stops.

Mark Wahlberg plays Charlie Croker, a talented thief who masterminds a daring robbery at a palazzo in Venice. To complete the job, he uses the usual suspects: a demolition expert (Mos Def), a wheel man (Jason Statham), a computer genius (Seth Green), an inside man (Edward Norton) and an aging safecracker (Donald Sutherland). The prize is $35 million worth of gold bars. Plans change, however, when a member of the gang decides his share of the money is not enough and takes off with the treasure.

This setup not only turns the final "Big Heist" into an exercise in retrieving the gold, but also supplies a revenge motive. It also explains the remaining crew’s excessive zeal, which helps give the film some life. A stunning Charlize Theron plays Stella, who comes into the plot as the expert safecracker with her own personal motives.

Edward Norton has always shown himself to be a top-rate actor; this is no exception. My disappointment came when I realized that the bulk of screen time was given to Mark Wahlberg and his forced acting skills. However, the international scenery and colorful supporting characters rescue the film, as well as the "real" stars, the quick, whizzing Mini Coopers (glaringly advertised in the previews), which provide a fresh image to the creative chase scenes, and give Stella the chance to show off her risky driving skills. This is crime at its best. How can anyone hate such a clever and humorous group of thieves?

This movie is a close relative to another recent all-star remake: Ocean’s Eleven, a similar caper film which relied on its big name cast members for its greatness, but lacked in many other areas. The director of The Italian Job, F. Gary Gray, struggles to keep up with the pace of this action-packed movie, and the predictability of the plot stays in the formula of similar heist movies.

The movie is a fun bit of entertainment, but don’t expect much more. It should be viewed with a sit-back-and-enjoy-the-show attitude. It’s a break from the reality of life, making the seemingly impossible become possible. The film fulfills its obvious ambition of being light fare, something that won’t make you think long or hard.