The Italian Job

Most of this so-called remake takes place not on the streets of Turin, but in Los Angeles. And the cast are predominantly American. Any other similarities with the original? Well, the heist involves bullion; three Minis are again employed for the car chase; and LA's traffic lights are tampered with to ensure a clean getaway. But that's about it, for even the story has been tweaked. It begins with a den of top-drawer thieves commandeered by Sutherland's Michael Caine character, stealing gold from Venetian hoods (the sole occasion the film sets foot in Italy), only for one of them (Norton) to scarper with the haul and ensconce himself in the protected confines of a cosy LA manor. Seething and vengeful, the group calls on safe-cracker Charlize Theron and schemes an audacious reclamation heist. This action picture is a pale Ocean's 11 wannabe. True, there's an impressive opening sequence and a ton of gadgetry to keep tech-heads amused. But thereafter, it resembles a film made up on the fly. The cast, too, are strictly cut from comic books. Don't expect any unconventional endings either.