Ocean's Thirteen [Blu-ray]
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Movie Reviews of Ocean's Thirteen [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: Thirteen Brings Back the Fun of the Series...
Summary: 4 Stars
In 2001, director Steven Soderbergh brought us the re-imagining of the Rat Pack classic "Ocean's Eleven", and then in 2004, he followed it up with the not nearly as entertaining sequel "Ocean's Twelve". Three years later Soderbergh, and most of his original cast from the previous two films, returned one more time for "Ocean's Thirteen". For a franchise that has seen one great movie and one not-so great in its franchise's relatively short existence, one must wonder how the third effort will turn out. Will "Ocean's Thirteen" bring back the fun and excitement of the first film, or continue to falter under its own self-importance as "Ocean's Twelve" did?
"Ocean's Thirteen" begins with a member of Danny's crew being swindled out of a share of profits in a new Las Vegas hotel by a nefarious businessman named Willy Bank (Al Pacino). Now, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and company want retribution for their deceived comrade, but to succeed they will have to pull off their most daring job yet.
Screenwriting duo Brian Koppelman and David Levien ("Knockaround Guys") bring back to the "Ocean's" franchise something that had been sorely missed in its second outing... all of the fun. This time around, not only is the script much more in the vein of the first film, but the entertainment value is nearly as high as it was the first go-round. With the clever comebacks, the wit, and an overall feel good atmosphere, none of which ever decreased the interesting and entertaining nature of "Ocean's Eleven", this latest installment brings the series back from the doldrums that ensnared it throughout the lesser-entertaining "Ocean's Twelve".
While the fun of the series has been revived that is not to say that this movie is lacking in any sort of drama. The story for "Ocean's Thirteen" is the most intimate the series has ever been. By placing the Ocean's crew in a position where one of theirs has been wronged and thus their newest job is driven purely by retribution from the get-go creates a fresh, new twist for what could have been an all-too familiar tale. One other aspect of this film's story that one will notice when watching the movie is that there appears to be a sense of finality to the series' various character arcs. I have heard that this is intended to be the final film in the franchise, at least with this cast, and if so, I appreciate the efforts made in the screenplay to bring resolution to not only the characters, but also the various plot threads that have existed since the first film. If this is indeed the final chapter for Danny Ocean and his crew, then this was a very satisfying and enjoyable ending to the series.
Reprising their roles from the previous two films are essentially everybody that we have become familiar with since 2001; however, Julia Roberts and previous newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones are noticeably absent from the proceedings. Aside from those two missing assets, everyone else is back, and arguably better than ever. I was especially pleased to discover that the fast-paced repartee amongst the characters, primarily between Danny (George Clooney) and Rusty (Brad Pitt), was back in full force, and just as fluid and smartly crafted as before.
From my perspective as a fan of the series, despite the low point of "Ocean's Twelve", one of the highlights in the cast has remained Matt Damon's character of Linus. Damon's portrayal of Linus has evolved naturally over the course of the previous two films, culminating in this one with the audience finally getting to see Linus in a capacity that rivals Danny or Rusty in terms of respect, usefulness, and skill. Another highlight of the cast would be Carl Reiner who had been somewhat under-utilized in the previous two films; this time around he is given much more to do with his character. His comedic timing and immersion into the character is great, and he proves that even at his age he can easily keep up with his much younger co-stars.
Of course, when discussing the cast of "Ocean's Thirteen" one would be remiss not to mention the terrific performances from the two newcomers to the series, Al Pacino ("The Godfather") and Ellen Barkin ("Sea of Love"). These two enduring talents are extremely fun to watch in this film as both clearly appear to be enjoying themselves on camera. Ellen Barkin is perfect in the role of the seductive assistant to Al's Willy Bank character. Ellen takes a character that should have been a fairly one-dimensional role and turned her into a complex, modern woman who is nearly as ruthless as her boss.
However, it was Al Pacino's performance that was the most surprising to me. I know it sounds strange to say that Al Pacino gave a surprising performance, I mean let's face it the guy is a legend, but it's because of how low-key he was in this role when compared to some of his work from the last 10 to 15 years that I can say that. Here's an actor that has become heavily parodied by today's comedians because of his penchant for yelling his lines at random, and yet, in this film I can hardly recall a single instance where he really cut loose with the volume. Along with his reserved performance, Pacino delivers a character in Willy Bank that is so slimy, distrustful, and utterly narcissistic that you instantly hate him, but at the same time there's something about the role that is flat-out entertaining. Honestly, Al's portrayal of Willy Bank in "Ocean's Thirteen" is some of the best work he's done of late and is vastly superior to his less-than-stellar performances in "Righteous Kill" and "88 Minutes".
"Ocean's Thirteen" is an incredibly fun heist movie that brings the trilogy full circle, wrapping up the various threads in a very satisfying manner. Although not quite as good as the first film in the series, "Thirteen" is a very close second and more than makes up for the shortcomings of its predecessor.
"Ocean's Thirteen" is rated PG-13 for language.
Movie Review: Ocean's Thirteen is an improvement of the 2004 Sequel
Summary: 4 Stars
After watching all those disappointing sequels this year, I finally saw a "part 3" that has charisma, good chemistry, and more importantly, entertaining moments. Surprisingly, Ocean's Thirteen is a step up from the previous film--which was pretty boring by the way. This time around, everything is bigger--the stakes, money and casinos. It has its minor flaws, but it was much better than expected.
Brief Story Intro:
Successful, and very arrogant, casino owner Willie Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the original eleven, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). The evil Mr. Bank basically ruins him economically and mentally--All of this to build his new monster casino in Las Vegas. Reuben is so devastated by his loss that he suffers a nervous breakdown and he is unable to speak. It is time to get even. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) finds all this insulting and gathers the rest of the gang to plan an attack to ruin Will Bank. The task won't be easy. They will face new obstacles along the way--even a super computer similar to the one from Superman III. Also, they'll need to team up with an old nemesis Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to get the job done.
Review:
More dynamic and entertaining than the 2004 sequel, Ocean's Thirteen follows the same old formula, but has all the right ingredients to keep you entertain. We enjoy the same old chemistry between the characters, double-crosses, jokes and new plans to ruin Bank's business--this time they have to penetrate a state-of-the-art hotel & casino with an artificial intelligence super computer. Some might find the plot a bit silly and hard to follow, especially with all their new plans to scam the casino--which are more elaborated this time around. But towards the end of the movie, everything starts to make sense and perhaps will put a smile in your face.
These are A-class actors who give us great performances. But the actor who really got my attention is Andy Garcia who is more charismatic and entertaining than before--in my opinion, he did a much better job than superstar Al Pacino who played his same old character. I also enjoyed the cinematography which is more colorful than the previous films.
But there are things that should have been done to make the film more entertaining. First of all, the movie is a bit long (2 hours). Yes, there are some draggy moments, but they are not that big of an issue, at least for me. Unlike the other movies, though, there is a lack of romance--Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones are absent.
The Verdict:
It's the same old formula but it still works. If you were disappointed by the 2004 sequel, Ocean's Thirteen is an improvement where we get a good story, extravagant actors, big locations, and entertaining moments. I recommend this film.
Movie Review: Well, What Can I Say?
Summary: 4 Stars
This title is definitely better than the second. Yet, it is not as good as the first. On the tech side, the visuals are gorgeous and the sound tries to keep up; as it is not an action movie, per se. Nevertheless, a worthy Blu-Ray purchase.Movie Review: BluRay Transfer Ruins "HD" Movie
Summary: 3 Stars
This mini review is to inform you the transfer of this movie to BluRay stinks. It isn't because you recieved a bad copy or a flawed transfer, this is actually the directors intent. The film is grainy, colors are awkward and overall gives you the impression you are watching a standard DVD which you paid a premium for to watch in high definition. This is true for both BluRay & HD-DVD formats of this movie.
The movie itself is entertaining and you should enjoy it if you are a fan of the last two movies. If you didnt like the previous ones, you probably wont like this one as it is more of the same.
I would recommend the movie, but with the warning to BluRay/HDDVD owners to make sure they are aware of what they are getting picture wise... this is definetly not the movie to show off your high definition setup.
Movie Review: Ocean's Thirteen (13) Bluray Disappointment
Summary: 3 Stars
Good movie though not on a par with Ocean's 11. The chemistry between the characters is fantastic as ever and the mrs got her dose of eye candy which is why I bought the movie in the first place.
The HD conversion really brought my experience of this movie down to the ground. The picture was grainy, colours were off leaning heavily to the red end of the spectrum. I spent half an hour checking the settings of my TV and player without any improvement.
I then slipped in the Dark Night (which in hindsight I should have done right at the beginning) and got the gorgeous picture you'd expect.
It seems the studio and / or distributor rushed the conversion on this one so save your money and just buy the DVD!
Movie: 3.5 / 5
Picture: 1 / 5
Sound: 3/5