The Italian Job is the movie equivalent to a big beach novel: It's light, it's entertaining, it will keep your attention and it's no big strain on the brain.
This is a big action caper, a movie about robbery and revenge that moves along briskly and boasts a strong ensemble cast. And great driving stunts.
In The Italian Job, Donald Sutherland is the veteran leader of a crack heist team working in Venice. His gang includes such charming thieves as Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Jason Statham (as the wheel-man, natch), Seth Green and Mos Def. The lads are after a safe full of gold bullion. And they get it, too, but not before taking the audience along for some spectacular stunts and adventures, including boat chases through the canals of Venice.
Things change. There's a betrayal in the ranks. The gold gets stolen again. The rest of The Italian Job is given over to outsmarting the turncoat, avenging a bad deed and recovering that gold all over again. This brings Charlize Theron into the story as a professional safe-cracker.
It also brings a viewer to the edge of his seat watching a variety of action sequences and chase scenes, among which are some very busy, very fun bits with souped-up Minis raging all over Los Angeles.
So that's what they mean by off-road driving.
The Italian Job is not exactly War And Peace, but it's tough not to admire an entertaining picture that leaves you rooting for a pack of thieves. The script has plenty of laughs and silly bits, and in a story that really doesn't require much thespian heft, all the performances -- except Ed Norton, who appears to be sulking at all times -- are a pleasure to see.
Light, tight and bright, The Italian Job might remind you of big action movies from the '60s. That's not too surprising, because it's a remake of a '60s film that starred Michael Caine. But that's not the point. Here's the '60s-ish point: For all the surreal driving and clever-theft intrigue, the filmmakers have been careful to ensure that anything you see on the screen is physically possible.
Not likely, maybe, but possible -- just as a change to all the special effects and computer-generated stuff that's out there at the moment. It works, too.
(This film is rated 14-A)
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