The Bank Job (15) *** - Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, David Suchet, Peter Bowles and Daniel Mays.

FORMER dodgy car dealer Terry (Jason Statham) is a family man determined to go on the straight and narrow in this enjoyable enough crime caper based on a true story.

But when a beautiful ex-girlfriend (Saffron Burrows) re-surfaces and offers him a lead on a bank job to hit Lloyd's in London's Baker Street then Terry's good intentions are soon forgotten.

The lure of safety deposit boxes containing cash, jewellery and some dirty secrets proves impossible to resist for our small-time operator presented with the opportunity of a lifetime.

With the retro theme very much in vogue these days, the 1970s setting seems so appropriate.

What's next? Remakes of The Sweeney and Minder?

Director Roger Donaldson does a fine job at handling the cracking early pace but, somewhat inevitably the latter part of the film fails to live up to the early promise.

Penned by old pros, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it is a tale that involves murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family.

As the noose tightens, there's also a particularly nasty blowtorch torture scene you'll need a strong stomach for.