The Italian Job
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.49 You Save: $7.49 (75%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.17 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Italian Job
Movie Review: 3 stars out of 4
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bottom Line:
The Italian Job is more than a bit unfocused in its first half, but the rousing second half (complete with one of cinema's all time great endings) make this a movie worth watching and a superior film to the 2003 remake.
Movie Review: Pretty good fun
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie isn't nearly as exciting as the remake, but it is quite a bit funnier. It seemed to be shooting for a whole different attitude, and it is a very amusing movie. It is quite exciting too.Movie Review: Great
Summary: 4 Stars
The DVD played wonderfully. It was different than i thought it would be. As far as the shipping and everything like that, it was great!Movie Review: Not The Best But Worth A Look
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw the 2003 remake of The Italian Job before I saw the 1969 version. The chief difference between the films is that the first film is a comedy while the second is meant as an action-drama. The first Italian Job is filled with a large number of gang members about whom we know nothing in the film concentrating on the main players - Michael Caine and Noel Coward. With the 2003 version we get to know each team member and their specialty and a lot of the fun are the different likes/dislikes Charlie's team and how they interact with each other. Benny Hill, as the computer expert, in the first Italian Job is more interested in fat women than turning traffic control in Turin upside down; his role has no real humor and is too small to be of any consequence.
Michael Caine makes a good Charlie but he is also not the brains behind the operation: Rossano Brazzi (who is done in by the Mafia at the opening) has planned the job and although the Mafia boss (played by Raf Valone) is threatening he is inconsequential during the heist when he could pop up as a surprise for Charlie and the gang. The 2003 Italian Job keeps you on the edge until the very end. The chase in the 1969 film is good but it is hardly the thrilling ride in the 2003 film where Charlie and company are seriously challenged; the police in the first film are bumbling at best.
Sadly, I did not find much of interest in the first Italian Job and can only recommend the film for Michael Caine's performance. The film is a bit slow in starting, a little vague about the characters and motives with a decent car chase.
Movie Review: Some Invention and Ingenuity, Some Lackluster Moments
Summary: 3 Stars
"The Italian Job" is another movie that begins with a lot of promise and dwindles as the clock rolls on-fortunately capped at 90 minutes or so. The opening sequence, as the credits roll, is a memorable scene that caught me completely off guard. I enjoyed the young Michael Caine's acting. His charm and personality definitely help carry the film throughout its length. The quirky setup of the film is quite inventive, including a job that is not planned from the ground up, but rather inherited after the death of its mastermind. The film itself does not focus upon the heist; rather, it chooses to direct its attention to the getaway. This makes up the extended action sequence of the film, starring the little minis. The chase sequence is quite enjoyable to watch and I waited the entire movie to see it. I particularly liked the inventive end to the chase sequence and the comedy that is woven into the driving. "The Italian Job" does not take itself seriously, and neither do I. The ending, as the documentary implies, is the ultimate cliffhanger. I wasn't sure what to make of it-or whether or not I enjoyed it. I can say that I appreciated its originality and I'm glad the film did not descend into a classic heist ending with everyone patting each other on the back. You'll have to watch it for yourself to decide.
As far as comparing it to the remake, you just simply cannot do it. The films are miles apart and have very little in common. I believe that comparing them would be pointless and unfair. See them both-just don't expect a true remake.