The Italian Job

As the Mini Coopers rock from side to side along a sewage tunnel, with £4 million in gold bullion in their boots and Quincy Jones's infectious score swinging away in the background, ask yourself this: is there a film - certainly a British film - that delivers a greater infusion of pure joy than The Italian Job?

As a comic heist film, The Italian Job is diverting, though slight. As a feature-length advertisement for the MINI Cooper, however, it's an unqualified triumph.

The brio and ambition of The Italian Job can’t be doubted and Caine has enormous charisma.

The Italian Job isn’t the first movie to take car chases into strange and new environments, but it sure is creative.

The cast does its stuff to good effect. Coward, as the highly patriotic, business-like master crook, brings all his imperturbable sense of irony and comedy to his role.

Like most criminals, however, the creators expend all their energies on the heist and not nearly enough building their characters.

The film is technically sophisticated and emotionally retarded.

Fun, entertaining, campy, Mini Coopers featured in some incredibe car stunts and action, Michael Caine holds all this craziness together.

Could definitely be anchor bias on my part, but I think I prefer the F. Gary Gray version to this classic from 1969. That isn't to say I loathed watching this or anything like that. In fact, I think the final chase scene in this ultimately outshines anything I can remember from the remake. For me, though, it was the revenge element of the 2003 film that ultimately won me over to the side of the crooks in question. Here, you're given the more matter-of-fact approach — almost something you'd see out of a Bond sequel or something. The thief is working the eponymous heist because he's a thief, of course. It's what he does and he doesn't really need any better reason than that. I can totally see the appeal of it (especially for the era in question), but I know I'm far too overanalytically inclined to be satisfied with that reason and that alone. Throw in some occasionally dopey humor and that's most of why I think I'm where I'm at in relation to which version I like more. Still, I can't say the overall watch was bad for either.

The original comedic take of The Italian Job is entertaining. But in no way a great movie. Or a good one. Its kinda okay level.

If you're an action fan you might like it. My feeling is it's just silly. Silly with a cast of thousands and the ending is basically idiotic.

First things first: I'm a real fan of Heist movies. And I love the 2003 remake with Mark Wahlberg. So when I was able to stream this original I was intrigued. But boy was I disappointed. It's not that the film has aged (it has), but the story is super flat. No real preparation of the heist, there's no thrill, no surprise. And the ending - oh boy - the ending is really really bad. Without spoilers it's difficult to say, but A) it's unrealistic compared to the otherwise meticulous Charlie, B) it' a lame ending, that C) is regarding the law of physics an affront to the watcher.