Ocean's Twelve
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.74 You Save: $12.23 (94%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Ocean's Twelve
Movie Review: Entertaining at the very least
Summary: 4 Stars
Anyone who doesn't like having to think when they see a heist movie (the horror) should skip Ocean's 12. God forbid you should have to fill in a few of the blanks yourself, right? Well, that's what Soderbergh and co. have done with this sequel to Ocean's 11. Be warned: it *does* make you think, and you probably won't understand all the disparate pieces of the plot on your first viewing. But I thoroughly enjoyed having to add it all up - and being that I actually do have two brain cells to rub together, it wasn't that hard to figure out in the end.
Brace yourself: Ocean's 12 is NOT the same film as Ocean's 11 (go figure). The heist itself is secondary, the focus being on Rusty Ryan and ex-flame Isabele Lahiri, but everything really does make sense at the end if you have a little patience and pay attention. It took me three viewings to get all the pieces in place; but then, I *enjoy* watching movies more than once, especially when they're brain-teasers.
Contrary to a lot of negative reviews, I loved the script. It was witty, snarky, fast-paced and definitely equal to Eleven. With such a large cast the division of screen time isn't equal, but remember that it was by and large the CAST'S decision to make this movie at all, so they obviously have no complaints. It's an ensemble, with the bigger names admittedly getting more of the limelight, but I believe there is enough screen time shared around for everyone to shine. Which they all do; nobody misses a beat, including new additions Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vincent Cassel. Even Julia Roberts is great, and I don't even *like* her.
As for all the complaints about the smug self-congratulation and supposedly unfathomable in-jokes - sorry, I didn't see any of that. What I saw was a large group of people obviously having a fantastic time on screen together, poking fun wherever possible and turning out a pretty clever and entertaining movie in the process. It pulled the wool over my eyes, and it was great fun.
I'm not saying the movie doesn't have flaws; every movie has flaws. Thinking quickly, some of the camerawork is choppy and yes, a single viewing probably won't be enough time to get all the storyline in place. But Twelve's flaws are nowhere near bad enough to stop you enjoying the ride.
Movie Review: Much better than expected
Summary: 4 Stars
Quite a few people I know told me the movie wasn't good so I didn't go see it on big screen. Now that I've watched in on DVD, surprisingly I quite like it and actually think it's as good as its prequel [in a different way though].
I like the combination of light action, romance, comedy, and a bit of suspense here. The strongest point of the movie must be a medley of huge stars [Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Garcia, Zeta Jones, Roberts]. Even supporting actors are all first-class! All of them play their parts really really well and even the supporting cast could hold their own against the big actors. It is amazing that you can feel a burst of energy and charms from these people in almost every scence. I actually felt like watching a celebrity party in a way, LOL.
Another thing I like in the movie is the sizzling romance. They didn't even have to use cheap sex scenes to tell the story. The chemistry between Clooney and Roberts is okay and the Pitt-Jones pairing is just incredible.
More good things: neat script with lots of funny quirky lines, good editing and delicious outfitting [but well we all know that Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Zeta Jones, and Roberts would look good even if they wore paperbags!]
Okay, now the weak points: The plot is kinda weak and not very believable. The movie could be confusing at times. I had to watch it twice to pick up some of the details. Also, those who go in expecting series of action would surely be disappointed. There is not a single violent scene in the movie if I remember correctly. The suspense element is not too good either. What else, there is not a whole lot of high tech gadgets for this Ocean's 12. Maybe these are why some people don't like this sequel as much as Ocean's 11.
So to sum it up, I think it's a fun movie if you watch it as a romantic comedy. The movie can't quite boast its action and suspense elements though.
Recommendation: Rent it and you'll get good two hours of entertainment. I bought the DVD just because I like many many funny scenes in the movie and wouldn't mind watching them over and over again.
Movie Review: A little disappointing, but still worth your time
Summary: 4 Stars
If you love "Ocean's 11" as much as I do, you're bound to be a bit disappointed by "Ocean's 12." This isn't a BAD movie at all...it's actually quite good. However, it just isn't as slick as the first one, and it doesn't have the whole "super-cool heist" element of the first movie, and that's what made "Ocean's 11" so damn good.
The premise of "Ocean's 12" is that Terry Benedict (played by Andy Garcia) has received an anonymous tip about the crew that robbed his casino a few years ago. He personally visits each member of the crew and delivers an ultimatum: repay all the money that was stolen from him, with interest, in two weeks, or he'll kill them. Everyone is forced to band together again in search of a new scam so they can repay Benedict and save their own skins.
Like the first movie, there are a lot of twists and turns in "Ocean's 12" that keep the story moving and the audience entertained. There's another mastermind feeding Benedict information, and his motives are quite surprising (and comical). The addition of Catherine Zeta-Jones to the cast is one of the best things about the film: her character works for the government and she is trying to bring down her former flame Rusty (Brad Pitt) and the rest of the gang before they can pull off another job.
There is a bit involving Julia Roberts that is by far the best part of the movie. I'm not going to spoil it by going into detail, but you'll be laughing hysterically when you see it. (It was kind of a predictable twist, since they started hinting at it right at the start of the film, but it's still really funny.) Also, there are a lot of celebrity cameos in this movie, so keep your eyes open: you'll be very surprised when you see who pops up on screen!
Overall, this is a good movie: funny, smart, and very entertaining. I think my expectations were too high because I enjoyed the first movie so much, and there was no way "Ocean's 12" could possibly have lived up to my standards. It really is good, though, and it's one of the few sequels that's actually worth seeing.
Movie Review: Dissapointing , yet appreciated By Ryan Frost
Summary: 4 Stars
The Belagio heist left everyone wondering, did they really get away with it? Is that it? In fact they did, until a showoff thief from Amsterdam decided to try to prove his ability and ratted Ocean's eleven out to Mr. Benedict. This thief known only as the night fox told Mr. Benedict the location of the group of eleven who stole his money, on the condition of holding restraint as Mr. Benedict agreed.
This was the beginning of the plot, but was it good enough? Oceans eleven was a hit a great movie loved by all, the ideas, the action and the creativity captured every audience member in attendance. So there was no doubt that the expectations for its sequel would by high, especially since it had all the returning stars like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
It was the night fox, thought of as the worlds greatest thief, against Ocean's eleven, and at first it seemed like they were on top as the were able to get into the well guarded house to steal the first stock paper, but that's when they hit a snag. That plan fell through and now they had no money and one week to get almost 200 million dollars. This was one of the highlights of this movie it provided a bigger conflict, which brought about more drama and action.
It seems like that in this golden age of movie heaven that every sequel that comes out has higher expectations then what the director could create, especially if the movie had all the returning cast members. So maybe our expectations are too high. Although this was a great movie, and a hit at the box office, it just wasn't as entertaining and involved as it's original.
The glamour and special attributes that were created in Ocean's Eleven made its sequel out to have higher expectations then it would if it wasn't a sequel, since, if this wasn't a sequel then it would have been a hit like Oceans Eleven was, but this was definitely a great movie that gave every movie watcher the continuation, of those involved in the great Belagio heist, that they had been waiting for, for a along time.
Movie Review: Fun and entertaining!
Summary: 4 Stars
After thoroughly enjoying Ocean's Eleven, my expectations were pretty high for this film. In spite of all the negative reviews, I really enjoyed the sequel as well, and I felt it did justice to its predecessor.
This film (and the first, for that matter) are all about suspension of disbelief. An all-star cast makes it even harder for this to happen. But anyone who judges this film by the standard of believability will certainly be disappointed. The plot is clever and fun, if a bit far-fetched, and the shooting locations make the film enjoyable and add a lot of interest. (I loved the heist in Amsterdam!) The witty script, the beautiful scenery, and the clever plot made this film very fun and entertaining. I believe, however, that it has more merit in regard to entertainment than it does as a piece of art; it's all about having fun -- not a work of cinematic profundity. And if you don't like the stars, and your stomach churns at the idea of Hollywood doing a parody of itself, then this movie is definitely not for you. Tess does indeed impersonate Julia Roberts, which I found amusing, but if you're not prepared to laugh at things like this, I'd advising picking out another film.
One of my favorite things about both Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve is the fact that they never use violence to accomplish a heist. The use of creativity over violence really made both movies stand out against most similar films that Hollywood puts out these days, and actually made the characters more endearing. I loved the 'reveal' section in the end, too, especially the part where they show how the 'Night Fox' accomplished his part -- it was very funny and I am not going to spoil it, but in my opinion, it made it worth sitting through the film. The 'surprise' at the end was a true testament to the cleverness of the plot.
So, if you are looking for an entertaining, clever film with a sense of humor, with fun locations and a bit of mystery, check out Ocean's Twelve.