Oceans Thirteen (2007)

"...a winner...hits the jackpot...pure fun...pays off big time...a funny, fast-paced action-adventure!  Clay Smith, The Insider
"It's so money! It's so fun!  David Edelstein, New York Magazine
"The pleasure here, as before, comes from watching skilled professionals team up for a job well done.  Keith Phipps, The Onion A.V. Club
"An over-the-top celebrity cartoon of cool and a tilt-a-whirl of fun.  Mark Bell, Film Threat
"The star wattage is immense but the stars themselves are refreshingly self-deprecating, almost satirically so.  Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
"Two Thumbs Up.  Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
"...continues the breezy good times of the first two series entries without missing a beat.  Todd McCarthy, Variety

Editor's Note The third installment of Steven Soderbergh's slick, star-studded heist series just might be the best, as Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and company pull off another elaborate caper, this time in the name of revenge. Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), one of Ocean's original eleven, lies nearly comatose after a myocardial infarction brought on by shock. His dreams of regaining his former glory on the Vegas strip have been dashed by the dastardly Willie Bank (Al Pacino), with whom Reuben foolishly went into business to build the biggest and flashiest casino the the world has ever seen. Bank took Reuben for all he was worth, and now, the famously loyal thirteen won't rest until Bank has been brought down. They execute this noble cause through complex, daring, and brilliant machinations that make the most of everyone's talents, including Yen's (Shaobo Qin) acrobatics, Linus's (Matt Damon) acting abilities, and Basher's (Don Cheadle) heavy machinery. Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan) get a few hilarious moments as they brew up a revolution in a Mexican plastics plant, while Rusty (Brad Pitt) and Danny coolly preside over the action like omniscient, infallible deities, always about three steps ahead of the game. The villain's downfall is utterly satisfying due to the pure capitalist evil channelled by Pacino, while Ellen Barkin vamps it up as Bank's "cougar" of an assistant. The camaraderie of the thirteen lends heart to these cool criminals, best captured by the sappy letters Basher sends Reuben, which ultimately bring him back to life. Vegas is effectively captured through seamless editing and beautiful photography, with the trappings of uber-wealth making the fantasy even more fantastical.

	Al Pacino
	Andy Garcia
	Bernie Mac
	Brad Pitt
	Carl Reiner
	Casey Affleck
	Don Cheadle
	Ellen Barkin
	Elliott Gould
	George Clooney
	Matt Damon
	Scott Caan
	Brian Koppelman - Screenplay
	David Holmes - Original Music By
	David Levien - Screenplay
	George Clayton Johnson - Based On Characters Created By
	George Clooney - Executive Producer
	Jack Golden Russell - Based On Characters Created By
	Jerry Weintraub - Producer
	Philip Messina - Production Designer
	Stephen Mirrione - Editor
	Steven Soderbergh - Cinematographer
	Steven Soderbergh - Director
	Tony Fanning - Art Director

Entertainment Weekly
"[T]he cons and gambits come at you thick and fast, and Clooney and his compatriots guide them all with such insular verbal code that the movie is beyond sly -- it's a blizzard of blissed-out chicanery." -- Grade: A- 06/15/2007 p.58-59

New York Times
"[T]he third time really is a charm....OCEAN'S THIRTEEN is also a gas; it's lighter than air, prettier than life, a romp, a goof and an attentively oiled machine." 06/08/2007 p.E1

USA Today
3 stars out of 4 -- "OCEAN'S THIRTEEN is as frothy and smooth as a chilled margarita on a hot Vegas night....It's breezy, clever fun and ridiculously easy on the eyes." 06/15/2007 p.5E

Rolling Stone
3 stars out of 4 -- "Pitt is the real surprise....In this class act of a caper movie, he's worthy to shake Sinatra's hand." 06/28/2007 p.78

Sight and Sound
"Soderbergh ensures that the movie retains an enviable, watchable cool....Clooney has never been so smoothly unruffled..." 08/01/2007 p.72

Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "[R]efreshing and revealing..." 12/01/2007 p.138

ReelViews 8 of 10
I may be in the minority, but I don't consider Ocean's Twelve to be the dog that some critics have labeled it. Sure, it's a little self-indulgent, but it's a genial caper drama that allows us to spend some time in the company of the survivors of the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven. Now, along comes Ocean's Thirteen, and it's back to basics. This is a stripped-down, plot-oriented heist movie where character development and interpersonal interaction have been set aside in order to keep the parts clicking. It's like watching a huge Rube Goldberg machine. The end result is a foregone conclusion. The fascination comes from watching the contortions necessary to get there and guess what will happen next to propel events forward...The screenplay isn't a masterpiece of misdirection but it is smart enough that one can feel comfortable about keeping one's intelligence engaged as things unfold. The lack of explosions and gunfire makes this an atypical summer thriller, but its breezy brand of unforced and occasionally self-referential entertainment is a lot more fun than pirates, webslingers, and green ogres. - James Berardinelli

Reel.com 8 of 10
The first two movies in the Ocean franchise offered a large ensemble of stars but not much else. Ocean's Eleven tried to revive the Rat Pack bonhomie of the 1960 original, but came across as just another Hollywood package deal and the camaraderie seemed forced. The troupe gallivanted across Europe in Ocean's Twelve, which must have been a nice holiday for the cast, but the story was such a snooze that it was a chore for the audience to sit through. But back in Las Vegas for the third and possibly last installment, the franchise has lost the distaff member of the crew, Julia Roberts, but finally gained its footing. It may not be perfect, but with Ocean's 13 director Steven Soderbergh and his cast have at last delivered a truly effervescent caper comedy...But mainly, on this third try, the ensemble finally completely gels. Clooney's easy-going charm still paints him as the leader--let's face it, he is the one would probably would have been in the real Rat Pack back in the day. Yet, this time out, it is almost a ceremonial title, because Danny is only one element in a well-oiled machine. If this is the final Ocean's movie, saving the best for last is a wonderful way to go out. - Pam Grady