OCEAN’S THIRTEEN
OCEAN’S THIRTEEN: OCEAN’S ELEVEN DÉJÀ VU
It has been said that this will be the last installment of Steven Soderbergh’s romp with his buddies and the Ocean movies. Let’s hope so. Ocean’s Thirteen is better than Ocean’s Twelve. But let’s be honest. There is a reason why they are saying they should have called it the film they should have made last time. The problem with Ocean’s Thirteen is that they repeat a lot of material from the first. The tongue in cheek humor is not as funny. We all know how cool these guys are by now.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) come together again with the boys when their old friend Reuben (Elliott Gould) has been cheated out of a new hotel by hotshot Willie Bank (Al Pacino). Danny asks Willie nicely at first to make up for what he has done to Reuben. When Willie rebuffs him, he sets a plan in motion. He even involves nemesis Terry Benedict (Andy Benedict). He asks tech savvy friend Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard). They plan to steal $500 million in 3.5 minutes on the opening night of the aforementioned new hotel. They have to crack the “Greco”, a technologically savvy surveillance system that thinks and rationalizes like a human.
The story and dialogue are very similar to Ocean’s Eleven with revenge replacing greed this time around. Bringing back the story and cast back to Vegas was smart. It jumps right into the plan with no beating around the bush. The theme of the story is that it wants to bring back the old days in Vegas when shaking Frank Sinatra’s hand meant something. The cast looks like they are having a blast, as always. But maybe they are having too much fun. It felt like they wouldn’t act any different off camera. The ending conversation between Danny and Rusty is more George and Brad. The Bank Hotel is viewed as an atrocity as it is going away from what Vegas used to be. The guys reminisce of the good old days when The Sands and Dunes still stood. Danny and Ryan always look the part in their sharp, crisp suits. The disguises are fun with a little bit of silliness. The architecture and interior decoration of the hotel is evocative of the 70s. Red is prevalent throughout, popping up on the doors of the motel where the guys have a room and the Chinese inspired decoration of The Bank Hotel. And the use of gadgets (such as the cigarette lighters) add to the cool factor.
If the story was as inventive as the use of architecture, gadgets, and costumes, Ocean’s Thirteen would have been what it aspired to be.
With Ocean’s Thirteen, the third time is not a charm. Soderbergh and the guys should have stuck with the first one. Ocean’s Eleven is a film with humor and fun that takes you on a ride. Wish they could have continued the legacy with this one.
Report Card:
Story-C-
Acting-B
Visuals-A
Originality/Innovation-C-
Enjoyability Grade–C-
Overall Grade-C
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