Ocean's 13

Since I am a fan of the first two movies I expected a funny and thrilling film. What carried the viewer through its predecessors (great retro design, music etc.) now isn't enough for a really good movie. The story itself could be summed up too quickly. The preparation for the big thievery starts almost from the beginning of the film and it's justification is really poor. What can be really enjoyed are the colorful visuals and a bunch of stars that seem to enjoy themselves. All this prevents a worse vote. To me it seems that Hollywood is running out on ideas at the moment. Sequels are obviously attractive from a financial point of view but bear the risk that they are produced and conceived not careful enough.

I liked "Oceans 13," but I wanted to love it.

I love the handsome stars, the great clothes, the nifty sets, the music -- David Holmes' score is a really fun, retro trip back to 1965. I love the deadpan delivery of funny lines: "I just bit into a pepper," a man says, when caught tearing up. I love the payoff when scams reach their climax.

But I wanted this movie to thrill me as the previous "Ocean" movies have, and, while it was a slick good time, it wasn't memorable.

There is less character development here than in previous movies. Ocean is not pursuing Tess. Linus has pretty much proved himself.

There wasn't the spectacular stunts as performed by Shaobo Qin in "Ocean's 11" or Vincent Cassel in "Ocean's 12." "Ocean's 13" doesn't fully exploit Las Vegas -- we've seen this movie's Las Vegas before.

Al Pacino is kind of blah as the villain. I wasn't afraid of him; I just kept wondering why he had orange hair. Andy Garcia is more juicy in a smaller, ambivalent role.

The movie resuscitates the film career of Ellen Barkin. She looks spectacular: flat stomach, legs to die for, magnificent cleavage. And then what do they do? Humiliate her and make a bitter comment about how she is a woman "of a certain age." "Oceans 13" would have been a better movie if it had made better use of this hot actress. A sex scene between her and the ever cool Matt Damon would have perked the movie up.

This movie is at the level of the first.

With an exciting story that captivates the viewer, the film manages to give us a good robbery story, with well-executed plot twists, good story development, good production design and funny moments. There are a few holes in the script that don't explain what happened to characters that came out in previous movies, as well as some conveniences for the story to follow.

But the movie is entertaining and is a good closing for this trilogy.

"The robb'd that smiles, steals something from the thief." Shakespeare's Othello

Andy Garcia's wealthy Terry Benedict is financing Danny Ocean's Vegas heist from casino owner Willie Bank (Al Pacino) in order to get the last smile of vengeance, thief to thief, while Danny and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) exact their own revenge. No honor among these slick reprobates, and good time is had by all the men and, this time, not Julia Roberts, but Clooney's real-life squeeze, Ellen Barkin, as Abigail Sponder, tough right hand to Bank.

I go to most movies as a film critic with my sensibility well-guarded against the fluffy confection of just another heist. But the Ocean's franchise, like the Bond's, has a cachet all its own with eye-pleasing duds, high-tech high jinx, and self-referential dialogue. Thus I am free to enjoy without feeling as if I'd sold out to crass commercialism—I have, but willfully and pleasurably.

I guess I'm sucked in like everyone else at the movies, even with as many as I've seen and written about, because I want to go where the director, in this case the estimable Steven Soderbergh, wants to take me. In Ocean's 12, it was all over Europe; in Thirteen it's the entertainment Mecca of the Western world.

No deep thoughts come to mind, just summer mindlessness dressed up for partying (Pitt and Clooney very nicely decked out, understatedly). Clooney's musings about the changes in Vegas since guys like him had shaken Sinatra's hand serves as "change" leitmotif lighter than air. Twenty years from now we'll be talking about the iconic Pitt and Clooney in the same nostalgic way. Ocean's Thirteen reinforces its place in popular culture as a repository for our transitory adulation of movie stars and the escapes they gave us long ago.

At the end, Matt Damon exits with "See you when I see you," a fitting piece of noncommittal that may promise another Ocean's installment or just more star sightings. Clooney says goodbye to Pitt with an in-joke the world is in on: "Hey! Next time! Keep the weight off. Pitt retorts, "Have a couple of kids." This is typical of the low-key, sweetly narcissistic third installment.

Ocean's hits a lucky thirteen this time around without a big jackpot but a great deal of good will.

Normally the sequel to a movie is a let down. Especially if the first part was really good. I think that's what's happened with Ocean's 12 for many but l hope this doesn't mean that they won't be watching '13'.

I was happy to see all of the same characters and actors together again because that is one big cool cast. Not to mention Al Pacino...icing on the cake.Who could resist?

For those who are in doubt about Ocean's 13, i hope you're not affected by some bad reviews because history doesn't repeat itself with this one. It's got an interesting story and some fabulous actors and acting. Don't miss out.