The Italian Job

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I've seen it once at the cinema, but I couldn't resist watching "The Italian Job" (2003, USA) one more time, if only to compare it with the original I have on DVD.

How they can claim that this film is a "re-make" of the original, I'm not really sure. Yes, there's Mini Coopers and a plot based around messing up the traffic systems, but the 1969 version was never about stealing the gold. It was about Charlie: about his own cunning, wit and charm. Croker's character provided everything, from the memorable one-liners to the tragic fall. OK, perhaps the new version brings the action kicking and screaming up-to-date: but where's the charm?

"Remember - in this country, they drive on the wrong side of the road"
- Charlie Croker (1969)

"You should never mess with Mother Nature, mothers-in-law, and mother-freaking Ukrainians"
- Skinny Pete (2003)

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