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Oceans Thirteen /Oceans 13/ movie comments

Date: 2008-02-02 11:37:51 User: Daniel Chapman Ocean's 13 "Ocean's 13"—a high-class, flashy, star-filled, humorous and entertaining apology note to the disgraceful middle chapter of Ocean's heist trilogy (Ocean's 12)—is not only the best/least disappointing threquel of threquel-laden summer 2007, it's the most fun I've had at the movies in a long while. Pirates 3 wowed me with effects yet left me feeling like producers thought I was stupid enough to enjoy the childish humor; Shrek the Third was underwhelming in every aspect; and even though Spiderman 3 aimed high, I was more exhausted by it than exhilarated. Ocean's 13 doesn't wink at itself self-gratifyingly like atrocious "Ocean's 12", it doesn't try and overpower us with the spectacle of CGI (it even pokes fun at it in a scene where a trapeze artist evades elevators in a fast moving shaft), and part of the spark that reignites this crime franchise is the fact that from the disaster of the second film, the Ocean's team could only go up; this is not a disappointment like other 2007 3's, it's a vast improvement. In fact Ocean's 13 (dare I say it?) is the BEST of the Ocean's films. With 12, there is no contest, but several things have improved for the better from the first installment to this one. For one thing, as beautiful as they were, Catherine Zeta Jones and Julia Roberts are not in the film; as the least memorable portrayals in the previous two movies, their absence not only gives way to friendly and personal banter about love lives between Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and right hand man Rusty (Brad Pitt), but it allows the film more time for male-dominated moments of camaraderie and slick thieving moves. As another thing, the plot is even more elaborate and thrilling; with great gags, laughs, twists and ingenious plotting to top the original's stellar sting-operation. But perhaps most important of all: this time, it's personal. It's personal for director Steven Soderbergh and his rat pack to clear their name of Ocean's 12. It's personal because the stellar cast get to flesh out their colorful characters attributes even more (the feeling of camaraderie among these honorable, charismatic thieves is far more noticeable this time around). It's personal that the in-jokes don't go overboard (the best must be Matt Damon's fake nose which makes him look something like Soderbergh) And it's personal that Ocean reassembles the crew not to gain for money, but to strike back at the sleazy hotel mogul Willy Banks (Al Pacino, having a blast as the skuzzy villain) who gypped Danny and Rusty's eccentric mentor Reuban Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) out of his share in a Las Vegas Hotel they created. They do just that by pulling off a more amazing feat than even in Ocean's 11. They rig every aspect of the casino to pull its money out and they ensure the hotel reviewer's experience is so bad to make him give an awful review. Why exactly is that harder? Because Ocean and his team are against a top-of-the-line security system far beyond them; their "…analog players pitted against a digital opponent". Ocean and co. have that old school swagger and charm, but they also have an old school way of pulling a crime. So how are they to compete with a system that scans every person on the floor; that detects cheating or rigging at every corner? And since they have added former villain Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia, still smirking malevolence in a pin-strip suit) they must be wary of double-cross. For me to give a single plot twist away would be a disservice. Ocean's 13 is so hugely enjoyable, with an ending where every man gets his comeuppance (I particularly LOVE Benedict's fate), you will want to see the whole thing knowing as little as possible going in. It makes it that much more fun. The glossy cinematography that makes Vegas a glitzy, nearly surreal world, is only another charming of a film so brewing with clever twists and laughs; in-jokes and a cast so top-notch in form. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Scott Caan, Casey Afleck, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Don Cheadle…they all once again charm us, and seduce us into cheering on a band of pilferers and thieves; so slick in their silky suits and charismatic in every aspect of their attitude, they redefine cool and classy once more. 9/10 "The nose plays"-Ocean's 13   You have to register to leave a comment...   Back to the Oceans Thirteen movie download page