I have seen both of these films now. The plot is approximately the same idea, get the gold bullion and escape by gridlocking a city.
The original was a classy, witty and interesting car chase movie with an unforgetable ending and lines like "you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!". The convoluted escape route was exciting and fun. I would say
The second is a lot flashier and set in the US. A gang of theives try and get their revenge on a previous member who stole all their bullion after a heist in Venice. They come up with a plan to steal the gold back and leave him high and dry! The ending is forgetable, the best heist is in the first 6 minutes of the film and after that is gets abit. . . . monotonous. or maybe I can not decide.
Watchable but not really very charming.
Did you ever see the cut scene from the original where the minis go "dancing" with themselves/police cars? That was wierd and a bit too arty, it's no wonder they cut it. Looked good, though.
Yup I have seen that one. I think I have seen it on dvd or maybe on the video I have. It is a grate bit of precision driving, I wonder how many takes it took to film.
The whole concept of the 1969 film is brilliant bar the bit where the bloke gets special treatment in the prison.... reminds me too much of Porridge with Ronnie Barker. Anyhow, even that bit is good. I think this is a quality film that encapsulates the Mini for what it is - supremely cool. I shouldn't like this film but I do. I like it so much that I have watched it a number of times. I would give it
The 2003 film is crap. I would give it 0S ( I hope this bit works, if not, I gave it nowt). Why remake something that is a cult classic? When this failed why did they remake Alfie? That was another Michael Caine film that was a classic that was reshot and looked like a complete balls up. The next one they'll do is Zulu but they'll probably base it on Saddam Hussein!
mr_e, the ending annoyed me up until the point that I saw an interview with Michael Caine where he described why they had left it like that. Apparently, in the sequel, they were going to let it fall down, the Italian authorities would get it and they would then go and get it back off them - I'm glad they didn't shoot that one.
I don't know. I would suggest that
a)They probably realised that it would be a terrible sequel and ruin the aura surrounding the first one.
b)The actors went on to other projects - Caine's wage would have been huge.
c)The studios might not have granted it - it seems to me that then films were about the spectacle of the screen not the lining of someone's pockets.
I saw the new one recently and I quite liked it. But only as long as you didn't think of it as a remake of the Italian Job, but just a film with the same title and minis in it. I'd give it myself. Plus I liked that there was a character called Handsome Rob cos it meant I got to take the mick out of the hubster (Rob) for aaagggeeeesssss.
or maybe 
I can not decide.
