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Release Date: June 8th, 2007 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Cast: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Al Pacino, Eddie Jemison, Don Cheadle, Shaobo Qin, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Eddie Izzard, Ellen Barkin, Julian Sands, David Paymer, Vincent Cassel, Andy Garcia. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. BASIC PREMISE: Danny Ocean (Clooney) gathers his thirteen criminal masterminds to plan a heist and to exact revenge on Willie Bank (Pacino), a co-owner of a hotel-casino in Las Vegas. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Despite an unsurprising plot, Ocean’s Thirteen manages to be entertaining thanks to its lively ensemble cast.When Willie Bank double-crosses Reuben (Gould), his business partner, Danny Ocean quickly gathers his men to plan a heist on Willie’s hotel-casino. The plan includes drilling under the hotel to give the impression of an earthquake during the heist, so, to get the money for the drill, Danny must borrow money from his old enemy, Terry (Garcia), who also wants to see Willie’s hotel-casino destroyed. Of course, the plot gets slightly complicated with so many subplots, such as when Linus (Damon), one of Danny’s men, seduces the sexy Abigail (Barkin) and when Virgin (Affleck) and Turk (Caan) go incognito to “fix” the dices a factory that will be used in by the casino. In another subplot, Livingston (Jemison, the charismatic actor who played the “spontaneous poetry” guy in Waitress) also helps to rig the casino games. Even though the plot becomes implausible as it progresses, at least it manages to be engaging thanks to the chemistry talented cast. Everyone has their moment to shine. Co-writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien balance the suspense with some comic relief, such as when Danny’s men make sure that a hotel reviewer (Paymer) has the worst possible experience at the hotel-casino. Also, there’s a hilarious cameo by a TV talk show host. Ultimately, Ocean’s Thirteen lacks the refreshing surprises of Ocean’s Eleven, but at least the actors have more charisma and chemistry together than they had in the dull, by-the-numbers Ocean’s Twelve. Stayed tuned through the end credits for an additional scene. SPIRITUAL VALUE: None is required or desired. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: None, as long as you check your brain at the door. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 1 IN A NUTSHELL: Unsurprising, but mindlessly entertaining with a lively ensemble cast. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: Movie Theater Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu The "O" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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