Rating: PG-13 | Runtime: 122 minutes
Release Date: June 8th, 2007 (USA)
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director(s): Steven Soderbergh
Writer(s): Brian Koppelman & David Levien / George Clayton Johnson & Jack Golden Russell (characters)

Are you watching Oprah?

I’ve heard from many who despised Ocean’s Twelve when they saw it, complaining about its weak plot and unreal goofiness. I conversely found it to be very entertaining despite all that. What the first film had in intelligence and wit, the second had in cool and fun. Sure the story was far-fetched and convoluted, but I’d pay to see those actors having fun on-screen anytime. I don’t go to films like this to be intellectually stimulated. I go to be entertained.

What this all boils down to is the fact that I was looking forward to the third installment, aptly named Ocean’s Thirteen, to see where those characters would go next. Steven Soderbergh doesn’t disappoint by creating a nice mix of the first two chapters. We are given a smartly orchestrated heist along with the great one-liners and facial expressions that made the second such a good time. I might be persuaded to say it’s the best of the three, but it’s at least as good as the first.

Revenge is paramount once again. The crew’s backer (played wonderfully by Elliot Gould as usual) has been double-crossed and bedridden by a heart attack as a result of another casino owner (Al Pacino). George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and their cohorts offer the latter a peace offering only to have it thrown back in their faces. Now the movie can really begin.

Stylistically, you can’t argue with the structure used to show viewers how the plan will work. While trying to speak about a problem needing fixing to a friend, Clooney and Pitt go through everything while we’re shown the visual progress. This maneuver is initially a tad distracting, but you’ll give into its effectiveness at getting a lot of info out in a short amount of time once you acclimate. The rest of the film then leaves the boys to get the job done. There are pitfalls and unforeseen alliances that come into play with comedy following them all.

As with the first two films (especially the second), we have a lot of characters that just can’t get the screen time necessary to be really effective. It’s not as noticeable, though, because they’re often shown accomplishing their tasks separately rather than all together. Everyone gets a decent sized monologue or gimmick to show their stuff, and all were surely satisfied as a result.

You know they’re all having a ton of fun due to the sheer amount of talent involved—so they can’t all be making too much money. Now, with the addition of Pacino playing his usual caricatured self like most of his films the past couple decades, Ellen Barkin going a tad over the top considering her character has been drugged, David Paymer’s funny bit part/running joke, and a somewhat underused Eddie Izzard, the multitude of characters can get overwhelming.

Overall it worked for me. The plot twists are never too far-fetched and often have you smiling that it turned out how you thought because the filmmakers aren’t trying to confuse us. They’re just letting the pieces fall into place. And the acting remains consistently great with my favorite part still being the sarcastic banter and education void between Casey Affleck and Scott Caan. Those two have a great rapport with every line proving hilarious. Watching them running through the casino with multiple tasks to accomplish is enough to make me laugh.

---

(L-R) MATT DAMON stars as Linus Caldwell, GEORGE CLOONEY stars as Danny Ocean and BRAD PITT stars as Rusty Ryan in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action adventure OCEAN’S THIRTEEN, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon.