This easygoing and lighthearted caper movie is a definite step up on the second in the series – although I hope this marks the end of the trilogy rather than a prelude to any further sequels. It's a film you're going to like if you appreciate the talents of the cast – Clooney, Pitt, Damon et al – all of whom are by now well settled into their sophisticated roles. In fact, THIRTEEN might well have the edge on ELEVEN , as the ingenious plot – detailing an immense and complicated scam on a mega-casino – is so well devised that I had a ball watching it play out.
Of course, there's nothing much here that hasn't been done before, and the film might well be too smart for its own good. Some of the supporting players – Eddie Izzard, Shaobo Qin – are more irritating than amusing, and Al Pacino's repugnant villain is one of the most unpleasant characters he's played in a long career. But there are other highlights that deflect from the flaws – Ellen Barkin's sexy femme fatale (sadly with the distraction of too much collagen, but otherwise perfect),a plethora of cutting-edge technological wizardry, some nicely judged twists and Soderbergh's debonair direction, all of which combine to make this a relaxing and genuinely fun outing for the crew.
Ocean's Thirteen
2007
Action / Crime / Thriller
Plot summary
The last time we saw Danny Ocean's crew, they were paying back ruthless casino mogul Terry Benedict after stealing millions from him. However, it's been a while since they've come back together, which is all about to change. When one of their own, Reuben Tishkoff, builds a hotel with another casino owner, Willy Bank, the last thing he ever wanted was to get cut out of the deal personally by the loathsome Bank. Bank's attitude even goes so far as to finding the amusement in Tishkoff's misfortune when the double crossing lands Reuben in the hospital because of a heart attack. However, Danny and his crew won't stand for Bank and what he's done to a friend. Uniting with their old enemy Benedict, who himself has a vendetta against Bank, the crew is out to pull off a major plan; one that will unfold on the night Bank's newest hot spot opens up. They're not in this for the money, but for the revenge.
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Easygoing spy caper might be the best of the three
At least they're back in Vegas
This one starts with Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) in the hospital with everybody coming together around him. Then it goes back 4 weeks earlier. Reuben was afraid of being old and tried to build a hotel with Willy Bank (Al Pacino). Only he got double crossed by Bank and suffered a heart attack. Six months later, the hotel is finished and Bank is looking to get a five diamond award for his hotel. The gang comes up with a plan uniting with old enemy Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to take revenge by taking away his hotel.
Steven Soderbergh and the gang have returned. The good news is that they're back in Vegas where this franchise belongs. The plan is as convoluted as ever. It's slightly better than Twelve, but the original excitement can never be recapture. This is more star gazing than anything else.
Third time's not the charm...
That's not to say all the Ocean movies are terrible. The first for me was very enjoyable, while the second while lazy and convoluted was okay. This film does have its moments, it is stylishly shot, has a brilliantly slick opening sequence and I liked the score. However, despite these good moments, it not only doesn't correct the mistakes of the previous time but makes more on the way. The direction is disappointingly lethargic, and the story is unevenly paced and convoluted. To me the script is not very good at all, in fact at worst some of it is pretty darn bad, while the film further suffers from being too long and too slow. Even the acting is disappointing, this is a great cast but some of them don't have much to do or don't know what to do with their material. Al Pacino comes off worst, he is a great actor but here he seems uncomfortable and uninterested. So overall, a disappointment really. I suppose it's worth a peak but I personally found it lazy and dull. 3/10 for being visually and technically accomplished. Bethany Cox