The Italian Job 2003

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: The talented cast and competent direction keep you rooting for these good thieves, even when common sense urges you to keep your cool. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: The Italian Job may not be the most memorable film you'll see all summer, but it's a fairly good alternative to many of the prequels and sequels we have ahead of us. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: ... a real marvel of filmmaking. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: This movie has more personality and humor than most films of its recent type. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: With its impeccable timing, steady kinetic drive and superbly choreographed chase sequences through the canals of Venice and the streets of Los Angeles, the movie, directed by F. Gary Gray, feels a like smooth, exciting whoosh down a ski slope. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: This one offers some agreeably mindless fun in which the villains (including Norton) are truly villainous, the payback is satisfying in a purely infantile way, and the familiarity of everything is oddly comforting. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Read more

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Italian Job gets the job done, but that's about it. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: A movie so eagerly and infectiously living for the moment that it barely follows the contours of the 1969 British caper flick that inspired it. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: Even though the 1969 original Italian Job had Michael Caine in the title role, carrying out the plans of imprisoned criminal mastermind Noel Coward, this new version has it all over the original. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: The film has plenty of giggles. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: The Italian Job has a decent enough heart, and, thanks to Seth Green and Mos Def, some funny moments. It's just not racing with enough adrenaline. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Glib, violently unreal, and gone in 60 seconds. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: Good, crisp fun. Read more

John Powers, L.A. Weekly: Paramount's new version boasts no such cultural resonance, but it's far more enjoyable than, say, X2 or The Matrix Reloaded. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: Screenwriting couple Donna and Wayne Powers have managed to downgrade what was only a half-decent 1969 crime flick to begin with. Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: This unglamorous approach has the odd effect of making them seem more glamorous -- we're free to soak up their star quality because there's no hard sell to fight off. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Like the tiny cars it features, it's not particularly extravagant or terribly sophisticated. It is amusingly put together and a fun ride. Read more

Jack Mathews, New York Daily News: A slicker, faster-paced, high-tech upgrade that lifts the sprightly spirit and the main action set piece from the original while developing its own twists and a new ending that, though a bit too pat and eager to please, is a vast improvement. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: A strangely satisfying though completely preposterous caper movie. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The Italian Job isn't a masterpiece, but it gets the job done. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: This is just the movie for two hours of mindless escapism on a relatively skilled professional level. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Small and steady, it wins the race with brains, not brawn. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: This is pure entertainment but smart entertainment, plotted and executed with invention and humor and acted by a winning cast radiating good-movie energy. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: A pandering, debased, generic little nothing of a movie. And I'm still trying to figure out why I loved it so inordinately. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Smart, quick-paced and entertaining. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: This is the zippy remake that Ocean's Eleven wanted to be and wasn't quite. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Take this Job and floor it. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Itresembles a film made up on the fly. The cast, too, are strictly cut from comic books. Don't expect any unconventional endings either. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: A lazy and in-name-only remake of 1969's G-rated Michael Caine heist pic. Read more

Robert Koehler, Variety: Not only is this new Job a generally better movie than the 1969 caper, it moves through the paces with a light, confident grace very much its own. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Wide-open absurdity would've helped; instead, there's a clotting of musical interludes and a general air of stoic grit. Read more