Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Oceans twelve was unlucky as a sequel. Ocean's thirteen however is right on the spot and a succesfull sequel. 13 is an almost exact copy of the original Ocean's Eleven, but who cares, it works splendidly. And in 13 the feel good factor is back which was lacking in 12. And although there are smart twists in 13 they are not that complicated that you cant understand them as was the case in Oceans twelve.No romances this time. However I did like Julia Roberts and Cahterina Zeta Jones in 11 and 12, I didnt miss the girls in 13. More room for Al Pacino who played the egoistic asshole to a T.It is a formula film, but great formulas can deliver great enjoyable movies, as is the case with Ocean's 13. You know what you are gonna get. You liked it before and you will like it now. Ofcourse the surprise effect is less great than with the first Ocean's Eleven. I give Ocean's 13 a well deserved 7 points, which may turn into 8 points if I start to appreciate this movie even more during the coming years as did happen with the magnificent Ocean's Eleven which I must have seen a dozen times...

After the events of the previous films the gang are now going straight. One of them, Ruben, is even starting his own casino in Las Vegas… unfortunately his business partner Willy Banks cons him out of his half of the business and seems to find it funny when Ruben collapses and is hospitalised. Danny Ocean decides that they must get back together and take Banks for everything he's got. This won't be a conventional heist; they intend to rig a number of games so that the casino will have to pay out a massive $500,000,000 on its opening night. Since it is so personal for them they are also determined to ensure that the casino doesn't win the prestigious 'Five Diamonds' award for this casino and steal the four diamond necklaces he had made to represent the awards won by his other casinos. Obviously none of this will be easy.This is a decent enough conclusion to the Ocean's trilogy; I liked the fact that it went back to its roots in Las Vegas without becoming a remake of the original film. The plot is obviously very far-fetched but that isn't really a problem if you can suspend your disbelief. There are plenty of good laughs, most notably their efforts to make sure the casino doesn't win the Five Diamonds by tormenting the reviewer and the way the man responsible for infiltrating the factory that makes the dice for the casino to rig them starts a strike over workers' pay, nearly spoiling the gang's plans. There are moments of tension as the plan moves into operation although I doubt many viewers will think they might ultimately fail. Most of the regular cast make a welcome return although Julia Roberts is missing, which was a pity. Al Pacino is suitably unpleasant as Willy Banks; a character it is easy to dislike. Overall I'd say this wasn't quite as good as 'Eleven' but it was a definite step up from 'Twelve'; definitely worth watching if you enjoyed the first film.

Slightly better than Ocean's Twelve but still not close to Ocean's Eleven, the third & final entry in The Ocean's Trilogy finds the original gang returning to Las Vegas for one last heist as things get a bit personal in this concluding chapter. Retaining the cool style & lighthearted vibe of its predecessors, the film does many things right but is still forgettable in the end.The story of Ocean's Thirteen is set in motion when one of the original eleven is double crossed by his former business partner who now owns his new hotel-casino. When the gang finds out about it, they decide to avenge him by concocting a plan to spoil the new hotel's opening night but to pull it off, they turn to a foe who shares their contempt for the common enemy and offers his assistance.Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean's Thirteen marks a little improvement over its predecessor and, by taking a persona route, brings something new to the table. The light, playful tone remains in tact but the premise is more involving than it was the last time. Also, unlike the previous entry, the new addition to the ensemble plays a key role in the plot and has an interesting arc of his own.While the story has an interesting outline, the writers still end up making the plot complex and not easy to follow. Not every twist n turn makes sense, some moments are as ludicrous as the second film's museum robbing sequence, and it expects the viewer to just go along with everything that's unfolding without questioning the logic of it all. Sometimes, it does work. Other times, it doesn't.Coming to the performances, the original eleven return to reprise their respective roles once again. Vincent Cassel also makes an appearance while the most notable amongst the new additions is Al Pacino who plays the antagonist and utilises his infectious persona to great effect. Clooney & Pitt once again lead from the front but Damon gets a promotion as well while the rest play their part as expected.On an overall scale, Ocean's Thirteen is a satisfactory conclusion to the saga of Danny Ocean & his associates, if not a memorable one, and offers a good, lighthearted dose of fun & amusement just like its predecessors. It corrects a few mistakes that were made in the second instalment but also ends up creating some new ones which stop it from reaching the heights & delights of the original. Nevertheless, it's worth a shot.

Movies in this franchise don't possess artistic value, but they are intelligent, cheerful and very entertaining, which is often more than enough.7,5/10Movies in this franchise don't possess artistic value, but they are intelligent, cheerful and very entertaining, which is often more than enough.