Movie 2006.04.24 - The Italian Job

As with most Hollywood heist movies, the plot is a bit hard to believe. But somehow you try to see beyond that and go, "Wow, wouldn't it great if they actually pull it off?" I mean, a bunch of mini Minis racing against a battalion of motorcycles, armoured trucks, and a black helicopter in a Metro tunnel? But I'm getting ahead.

Movie is about a gang of thieves who did a daring heist in Venice and ran off with a safe full of gold bricks by blowing the floor under it. Steve (Edward Norton) and his henchmen pulled a double-cross on the group, killing team consultant John Bridger, taking the loot as his own, and leaving his friends for dead in an icy lake. In true Hollywood fashion, the guys survive and regroup to take down Steve, who's holed up in his Los Angeles fortress. The group recruits Bridger's daughter Stella, as she's an expert safe cracker. Stella manages to bait Steve, but he's no fool, and in no time, he's on to their plan. Instead of waiting around, he makes a run for it with all his gold stashed in one of three armoured truck. The good guys figured out which ones are the decoys and redirects the correct truck to a specific location (by creating massive traffic jam and controlling the traffic light system). Once in position, BOOM! They blast the street underneath the truck (just like in the Italian job). Stella cracks open the safe manually, and they make off with the gold in their Minis. Easy-peasy.