Technical Consultants had that week off?
Although I loved this film overall, there was one gleaming technical mistake that almost had me walking away from the opening chase. When the boats were racing through the canals of Venice, I was cringing. It was obvious the boats were outboards, but the dubbed sounds were those of inboard or inboard/outboard engines. This is such a glaring mistake I wondered how thoughtlessly presented the rest of the film would be. The host of award-winning actors was great. The mix of characters and how they each brought their own expertise through diversity was extremely enjoyed. The script was fun and calculating; wit and banter almost seems lost in most of today’s features, but it was enjoyed in this. With so many plusses, I have to wonder if the technical consultants had the week off with the opening boat chase.
Although the sound of a standard 2-stroke Mercury 200hp (similar to what was used in the movie) is not completely recognizable to all, it is far different than a large-block inboard sounds producers substituted. Some may say that the sound of a Mercury 200 isn’t sexy enough for a mega-buck movie, but I disagree with the route they took.
Should the stock outboard engine sounds not be what they wanted, then they should've used the ear-splitting screams from Mercury's 2.5 liter racing model; which would've been much more believable and realistic. It would have added a whole new level of sheer adrenaline rush to the experience. The boat hull design could have used some help too. I’d sooner be excited if the getaway boat was an Eliminator Daytona or similar catamaran styled hull with twin outboards. Now that would’ve been a true edge of the seat experience! This would not have changed how a one-ton safe would've fallen right through the fiberglass of a boat hull, but it would've been more fun.
Producers will not substitute the sound of a Corvette engine when the scene involves high-revving Japanese sport bikes and that is a very good comparison for what was done in Italian Job.
The technical consultants should've done their homework when putting together the opening money-scene especially when the movie is was to be considered a modern day technology-based adventure.
I always wondered how technical consultants for films were found…