The boys are definitely back in town. After the ego trip that was Ocean’s 12,
the closest thing we have to the rat pack in film today, the gang
headed by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, have wisely
brought their con game back to Vegas and the city of sin does wonders
for a franchise that looked like it was about to bust but hits
blackjack with the best sequel of the year so far. Ditching the women
of the first two movies - Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julia Roberts has definately worked for the movie.
This is how Ocean’s 13
opens - Reuben Tishkoff(Elliott Gould) gets royally screwed like so
many Vegas players when Willy Bank(Al Pacino)
robs Reuben of his share of their new casino. Reuben’s heart is so
broken that he suffers cardiac arrest and his loyal pals return to
Vegas to get some revenge.
Danny Ocean(George
Clooney) and his team put into play the most elaborate scheme you’ve
ever heard of, a plan to sabotage the opening of Bank’s casino in every
possible way, including rigging games for high rollers to win and
ruining Willy’s chances at another coveted 5-diamond award. The scheme
involves infiltrating a dice factory in Mexico(an absolutely hilarious
subplot with Casey Affleck), a fake nose for Matt Damon, the seduction
of Bank’s right-hand woman(played by Ellen Barkin), an "Irwin Allen, "
and even a fake earthquake. Recapping exactly how Ocean and his gang
plan to get revenge on Willy Bank would take the length of an entire
review - it’s complicated, yet hilarious.
In some respects, it’s the complexity of the plot that allows Ocean’s 13
to be far more breezy and fun than the dull pace of its predecessor. Much to my surprise, Soderbergh regains the balance he found in the first film and, in some ways, even improves on it.
Everyone on camera in Ocean’s 13
looks more at home in these character’s shoes than ever before. None of
the excellent cast phones it in, like a few actors in other recent
three-quels could be accused of doing.
At the same
time, newcomers Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino don’t skip a jazzy beat.
Pacino hasn’t looked like he was having this much fun in years and it’s
infectious. And you can’t watch Barkin without wondering why on Earth
she hasn’t been getting more regular work. She looks great and has
perfect comic timing in every scene.
Having said all of this . I still prefer’The Italian Job’ to all the Ocean’s movies.