Ocean's Thirteen - review

Ocean’s Thirteen (PG)
Dir. Steven Soderbergh

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“This town might have changed, but not me. I know people highly invested in my survival, and they are people who really know how to hurt in ways you can't even imagine…”

What can you do when you follow up one of the most cool, hip, slick crime capers like Ocean’s Eleven with an overblown and self indulgent misstep like Ocean’s Twelve? Well, Ocean’s Thirteen I guess – so place your bets - is it third time lucky or is 13 an unlucky number for the general viewing public?

My advice is to step right up and put down your cash for the highest rolling crime spree to hit the cinema this year. Director Soderbergh pulls out all the stops to deliver a seriously fun blast of achingly cool ‘heist-em-up’ that is pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on your face. This time it’s personal as Danny Ocean (George Clooney – looking better than ever) reassembles his crew in order to take down nasty casino boss Willie Bank (Al Pacino in snarling baddie mode). The reason is that Ocean's former sponsor Reuben (Elliott Gould) suffers a heart attack when he is stitched up by Bank in a ruthless piece of underhanded business dealing.
So Clooney, aided by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and all the original crew (but no sign of Julia Roberts or Catherine Zeta Jones) gear up for a Casino smash-and-grab so audacious that they even have to draft in one time sworn enemy Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Up against a semi sentient computer security system that wouldn’t look out of place in a Terminator film, the Armani clad loveable scoundrels resort to every dirty trick in the book – and even make up some new ones too. Bed bugs, helicopters, false noses, pheromones, channel tunnel digging machines, bribery, coercion and masses of clever slight of hand are all employed in an plan which redefines ‘over the top’.
It’s all jolly good fun and looks amazing in super saturated colours and flamboyant casino chic. What’s really nice is that because the mission is basically the ‘good guys’ taking down a very dislikeable scumbag you’ll feel no qualms about rooting for them. In fact watching the heroes sticking it to the money grabbing Bank (who has the villainous François Toulour from the last film also on his side) is nothing short of an endorphin rush.
Even if Ocean’s Twelve didn’t ‘do it’ for you, this one is worth taking a punt on!!

Out of 5 you have to go with a fun, cool, slick piece of entertainment that is worth 3.5...

Darkmatters ratings:

Action ööö – enough
Laughs öööö – plenty
Horror ö – nothing too disturbing
Babes ööö – unconventionally pretty, and utterly mesmerizing, Ellen Barkin

Overall ööö1/2


"Ellen Barkin - looking damn good for 53!!"

Darkmatters: H O M E