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Its got to be said that this film is going to annoy some people due to its position as a remake of what might be considered a great film by some viewers. But the main point is, it does a good job, even if its a slightly different type of film. The story is built around the premise that the recently released major gambling thief Daniel Ocean is building a team of 11 crack thieves all with specialist skills to pull off the greatest ever Casino robbery. The ultimate robbery that has never been conceived before. Oddly enough he builds his team, some of whom appear to be misfits and begins to plan the job. The good thing about the story is that, unlike some others, they don't actually let you in on the whole plan, you don't know quite how the job is going to come off. Now building the details of plans forms the basis of other films, so in this one they had to fill the story with other titbits to keep you off the scent. These include the love of Oceans life and his plan to woo her back, various mishaps along the way that threaten the job and buckets of humour. Ok, its not a comedy, but when you compare it to films of its type it has more than its fair share of laughs. One of the striking features is the way the actors work from each other, it appears obvious they enjoyed themselves and it shines through. The quick punchy nature of the dialogue, the timing and the body language are beyond these actors to mimic if it had not been enjoyable. Its a great film not to have to concentrate on too much, you can pick up at various points and not miss too much, its also one that can be watched more than once without losing too much appeal, I think you might pick up on new gags on the second viewing for instance.Read full review
Danny Ocean wants to score the biggest heist in history. He combines an eleven team member, including Frank Catton, Rusty Ryan and Linus Caldwell. Their target? The Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. All casinos owned by Terry Benedict. It's not going to be easy, as they plan to get in secretly and out with $150 million. This is a movie that will keep you fascinated the entire time you are watching. It does not conform to the conventional values of the genre that we have come to expect. The twists and turns guarantee that by the end you will be sitting there thinking, that was really clever. Just sit back and enjoy.
Now that director Steven Soderbergh has established himself as a Prestigious and Important American Director with his message films Erin Brockovich and Traffic, he can get back to making the same top-notch entertainments that we loved him for in the first place, like Out of Sight and The Limey. Taking off on something (I believe) the late Vincent Canby once said, Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin (Ravenous and Best Laid Plans) set out to remake a bad movie for a change instead of a good one. The original 1960 Rat Pack flick Ocean's Eleven, directed by sixty-something Lewis Milestone was a plodding, boring mess that simply had Frank, Dino and Sammy posing a lot. Instead of trying to create a new Rat Pack (or, God forbid, casting the Brat Pack of the 1980s), Soderbergh puts together a crackerjack cast of cool 21st century stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Casey Affleck, and Julia Roberts in the same thankless girlfriend role that Angie Dickinson occupied in the original. Andy Garcia steps up, using some of his Godfather III tough-guy clout to play the all-powerful casino owner. A very funny scene has Brad Pitt teaching a group of young Hollywood up-and-comers (mostly WB TV stars) how to play poker, with the up-and-comers all playing themselves: Holly Marie Combs, Topher Grace (also in Traffic), Joshua Jackson and others. These stars seem to be enjoying themselves just as much as the original cast, but here the focus is on the heist and not the playtime. Soderbergh and Griffin concoct a doozy of a robbery, seemingly impossible with a new hitch around every corner. The cast, headed by Clooney, never loses its cool and never gives away a surprise beforehand (except for one minor one involving Julia Roberts and a cell phone). Thanks to Clooney, Soderbergh and Griffin, this Ocean's Eleven reveals a tight, well-oiled engine and proves a solid good time, though it doesn't seem quite as innovative or essential as Out of Sight or The Limey. Very much worth seeing.Read full review
Loosely based on the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name, OCEAN'S 11 is a hi-tech crime comedy that features a top-notch cast. Con man Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has just been released from a four-year jail term and decides that his first order of business is robbing three Las Vegas casinos owned by the slimy Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). To pull off this nearly impossible task, he quickly assembles an eclectic crew--including a card shark (Brad Pitt), a pickpocket (Matt Damon), an explosives expert (Don Cheadle), and an aging gambler (Carl Reiner)--and seeks financial backing from a freewheeling casino mogul (Elliott Gould) who holds a grudge against Benedict. However, it soon becomes apparent that Ocean has more at stake than money and his newly found freedom--his ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), just happens to be Benedict's new girlfriend. Can Ocean steal back Tess's heart and more than a hundred million dollars at the same time? Continuing an impressive streak of films that began with OUT OF SIGHT and THE LIMEY and exploded into even wider acclaim and popularity with ERIN BROCKOVICH and TRAFFIC, Steven Soderbergh helms this star-studded caper flick with a strong sense of style and humor. Clooney and Pitt, in particular, have a great rapport and both exude a suave, laid-back charm. Damon, Cheadle, Gould, and Reiner all provide excellent comic turns, while Garcia gives an appropriately sinister performance. The whole glittery package is topped off by David Holmes' engaging score, which ties together the sounds and moods of Hollywood past and present.Read full review
Great cast! Good plot! Although it did take half the movie to put the crew together. Clooney and Pitt were the lead roles. After that, everything fell in place a little too easy. Maybe I was expecting more, but the action was just not there. Not enough shooting and capture for me. It was kind of like an "A-team" plot. All in all, it was a good movie.
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