DEJA VIEW REMAKE: THE ITALIAN JOB (2003)

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TGTPTU’s back and so too is THE ITALIAN JOB (2003), now with 98% less British. For Episode 2 of Season 18 Déjà View, your professional hosts with awesome backstories tackle the studio passion project that took all the wrong lessons from Soderberg’s 2001 hit Oceans 11 remake.  

Opening in Italy, Donald Sutherland (“Big D” to those in the know) as Mr. Bridger (no relation to the 1969 original) on a cell phone promises his chastising straight-and-narrow daughter Stella Bridger played by Charlize Theron that he’ll definitely live to see the end of the movie and not be remembered by a fancy necklace he’s going to mail her bought with money he’s not yet stolen and then converses in-person with Mark Wahlberg’s Charlie Croker (no relation to the 1969 original) both barely audible over loud jazz music about handing over the reins for this one last job. This first heist plays well onscreen with a boat chase through the canals of Venice but will end with a double-cross (no relation to the 1969 original’s Italian mob plot) killing Papa Bridger and leading the heist team to leap one year into the future and to Los Angeles but not before recruiting Daughter Bridger from her honest safecracking work for law enforcement in Philadelphia. The team’s double-crosser is Steve Frazelli played alternately by Edward Norton and his moustache, and the tight-knit crew that will seek revenge (but never with much violence) on the vapid Frazelli (who doesn’t even have a nickname) includes Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def, and someone named Franky G who all, say it with me, have no relation to the 1969 original.   

But there are Minis. And they drive in places they shouldn’t. And this time there’s an onscreen helicopter that chases. They go vroom and explosives go boom and the team gets their heisted gold back and Frazelli gets tortured to death off-screen by the Ukrainian mafia while Stella and Charlie live happily ever after.   

This ep, host Thomas—pardon, Handsome Tom—has The Booyah Tribe and Napster’s Shawn Fanning explained to him by Gen X co-host Ryan while Ken continues fuming about how The Fast and the Furious franchise went to space.  

Chin up, mate: Only three more early 2000s Wahlberg remake pairings to go, not counting The Departed later this season. Next up, The Gambler.   

THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I .
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Podcast: goodpodugly
Ken: Ken Koral
Ryan: Ryan Tobias