It may seem like swapping the crown jewels for bling, but the American remake of British cinema's best-loved heist movie is not a complete travesty. In fact some observers think it's just as enjoyable as the original.
Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) replaces John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) as leader of a gang of thieves, and celebrates his promotion with a multi-million-dollar raid in Venice. With the bullion in tow, gang member Steve Frezelli (Edward Norton) betrays his friends, killing Bridger and leaving the rest of the team - he presumes - to die. But they survive, and Croker spends the next year locating the traitor. He succeeds, approaching Bridger's daughter, Stella (Charlize Theron), to use her safe-cracking skills to join the gang, rob Steve, and avenge her father's death...
Sacrilege in principle, but reasonably entertaining in reality, the remake updates location, character and plot for modern tastes without sacrificing the knockabout fun of its ancestor. It boasts a bigger budget which translates into a parade of stunts, confirming F. Gary Gray's prowess as an action director. And, like the original, the thieves do their own stunt driving (Jason Statham was tutored by Damon Hill, while Mos Def had to learn to drive) and get to make mayhem with Minis.
Did you know? Three electrically-powered Mini Coopers had to be built specially for the film, because petrol-powered vehicles are not allowed to operate in LA's subway system. In all, 32 Minis were used in the making of the film.
(3 Star)
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