Handsome Rob/White Cooper Charlie/Blue Cooper Stella/Red MCS

March 31, 2003: Press Screening of Paramount Pictures Remake of “The Italian Job” The Italian Job 4 Mini’s and the Real Creator of Napster!

Full House at the Grove… Included a Special Appearance by Jason (Handsome Rob) and Several Mini Coopers Zipping Around the Grove!

Lights Dim…. Anticipation is High and Well Received.

Here is the set up…

Opening in Venice, Italy; we meet our “gang” of professional thieves. Old-Timer/safe-cracker John (Donald Sutherland) On his last job, then there’s Charlie (Wahlberg)
who will succeed him, the evil mustached Steve (Edward Norton), the limey lady killer with a need for speed Handsome Rob (Jason Statham from The Transporter, Snatch, and Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels), demolitions expert, Left Ear (rapper Mos Def), and lastly, the greatest running joke in this film IS “Napster” Lyle (Seth Green).

It’s a great summer movie and will bring more well deserved attention to the MINI.

The Italian Job was directed by F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator, Friday, Set It Off; and the long delayed Vin Diesel film A Man Apart).

This is Mark Wahlberg’s third and best remake (The Truth About Charlie, Planet of The Apes). He’s a good kid, but can’t cry.

Theron is the “babe” and seems to actually havea shred of chemistry with Wahlberg.

Green was very amusing and used in the right amount, he’s a great side character which injects the comedy element at such a level as not to beat a joke to death but lets it level off medially. He has the best running joke in the entire film.

Norton plays a great villain. I personally don’t think Ed can fail; he’s well crafted and , for this film, had a certain creep factor with that moustache!

Statham and Mos Def delivier some of the best moments in the film without a doubt.

All in all this is a great cast whose characters were fit to them, major Mini mania, good and entertaining story and some great photography and direction, make this perfect summer fare.

I’ll give it 5 gears for entertainment and A Supercharged 6 for MINI FUN!

Review by: Doug - MightyMiniZ

Official MINI Press Release:

Paramount Pictures To Release Contemporary Remake Of Popular 1969 Classic Film On May 30th.
HOLLYWOOD, April 7, 2003. . .MINI, the 2003 North American Car of the Year, will join a stellar cast that includes Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland, in Paramount Pictures’ film, “The Italian Job,” opening nationwide May 30th. A contemporary adaptation of the 1969 classic, which starred Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill, this updated version of “The Italian Job,” directed by F. Gary Gray, pays homage to the original film and adds a modernized twist.

In “The Italian Job,” mastermind thief Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) pulls off an amazing gold bullion heist from a heavily guarded palazzo in Venice, Italy, only to be double-crossed by one of his crew. Seeking revenge, Charlie recruits Stella (Charlize Theron), a beautiful nerves-of-steel safecracker, and along with his former gang, follows the backstabber to California where they plan to re-steal the gold by manipulating traffic signals and creating havoc on the streets of Los Angeles.

Inspired by the use of the original Mini Cooper, the new movie showcases MINI throughout the film, proving the vehicle’s agility as it maneuvers through traffic, careens down stairs, weaves through subway tunnels and races down sidewalks as only MINI can.

The elaborate stunt sequences had MINIs performing spectacular jumps, withstanding numerous bullet hits and surviving a series of scrapes. Although audiences will see only three MINIs — one red, one white and one blue — filming the escape with the gold during the height of rush hour traffic in Los Angeles actually took 32 cars.

The MINI made its reentry into the U.S. market in March 2002 with the all-new MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S. The smallest car on American roads has a 2003 starting price of $16,975, and has taken the automotive world by storm with over 30,000 sold in the U.S. alone since its re-launch.

MINI’s origins began in the late 1950s as a new type of car designed to combat the Suez fuel crisis. The Classic Mini continues to be Britain’s best-selling car ever. With over 5 million sold in the UK alone, the car remains a cultural icon around the world, driven by everyone from The Beatles to British Royalty. The Classic version was sold in the U.S from 1960-1967 and still enjoys a cult following to this day.