Frankenheimer feels very much at home in these French settings, presenting them in a distinctly ‘70s European way — wide frames take full advantage of the scenery, with the Eiffel Tower seen prominently in the background of many shots. While the first half of the film is all about the planning of the initial heist, the second half is all about the aftermath. The team of missionaries gather all the right equipment and do the necessary legwork around Nice, France in order to prep for the ambush on the moving convoy. It’s in this slow build that the film gears up for the first of two sensational car chases.

In an early scene, one of the team members, Larry (Skipp Sudduth), asks for a fast car in order to help with the mission. More specifically, he requests an Audi S8 with a nitro boost. Now, I don’t know a damn thing about cars, but when a character sounds like he knows what he’s talking about and asks for something very specific, I know I’m going to be watching that same character use it effectively. Before we get to the actual heist, the team survives an ambush by some gunrunners and has to lose the cops after a shootout. Larry steps on the gas and tears through the French roads — it shouldn’t even count as a chase since the Audi S8 leaves the cops in the dust instantaneously. It’s a brief glimpse of what’s to come.

Sam’s team uses everything from remote-controlled stop lights, firecrackers, and even a bazooka to take down most of the cars in the targeted convoy. Sam and Vincent take pursuit in one car, while Larry takes his beloved Audi for a spin. There are six cars involved in this action sequence and Frankenheimer cuts it together in a way that first disorients the viewer, then makes things crystal clear by the time all points converge on the car that holds the loot. It is hard to differentiate between black car, black car, brown car, brown car, and another black car, but it’s never not exhilarating. We’re watching real cars barrel down curvy French landscapes — it’s a testament to how vital stunt drivers are and how no amount of CGI can replicate the thrills they conjure. De Niro’s stunt double, midway through the chase, pops up through the sunroof of a car going maybe, what, 80 miles per hour down a windy road while holding a rocket launcher — you would not have gotten any gasps from an audience by inserting a computer generated De Niro here.