Italian Job - Movie

For some reason I've never managed to catch the original version of this. I think I have some kind of aversion to watching those 60s & 70s films that people always espouse as being "classic Brit-flicks!". So I went into this with a blank slate, no picture of what the film should be and what it shouldn't. And I enjoyed it. The cast is a good one, though there's not quite enough room for any one of them to truly shine. Seth Green comes closest as the amusing nerd "Napster". The film has a number of chucklesome moments which help move the film along after a slightly odd start. I can't put my finger on it but something didn't quite work at the beginning. The heists, however, are all nicely done and once the team gets into the swing of things you find yourself bang in the middle of a very fun heist movie. It's unlikely to plague bank holiday TV schedules for decades, but it should stand up well to a good couple of watches at least.

7.5/10


Once Upon A Time In Mexico - Movie

Desperado, a film that's great the first time you watch it but unfortunately descends rapidly into averageness with each rewatch. Quite possibly the same will happen with its sequel here. The first time though, this is an energetic, fun, slick explosion of a movie. What's going on is rather secondary to what scenes it provides along the way, which is a good thing as the plot is a bit weird. Even after it had ended I wasn't completely sure I knew what had just happened. However, that doesn't stop you from enjoying the ride. The action scenes here surpass the slightly messy work in Desperado and they're all suitably over the top and dynamic. The fight in the church and the gunfight in the market both stand out in particular. There's some nice touches in the quieter moments too, mostly from the show-stealing Johnny Depp. The film's not quite up to Pirates Of The Carribean but it just beats the Italian Job in my book. It's senseless, stylish fun, and we all need some of that every once in a while.

7.75/10

Written to Rob Zombie - Dragula