OK -- so I'm a sucker for these big, splashy heist movies. I love 'em. So I had, had, had to see this opening weekend.
Their old buddy and partner in crime, Ruben, has been double crossed and may be down for the count. So it's up to Danny Ocean and his crew to reunite and make it right.
I liked that it wasn't about the money this time -- it was about making the other guy lose. And I'm intrigued by the Old Vegas, "you shook Sinatra's hand" code -- it might be worth looking into further. (Sue me -- I'm a writer, I latch onto something interesting and I have to research it.)
And Thirteen is fun for so many reasons -- Al Pacino is slimy and has the worst taste ever, in a send up of some of his past parts that doesn't devolve into a parody. Andy Garcia, as the crew's old nemesis, gets a few good scenes and a few good evil smirks.
There's no love interest to eat up screen time this time -- no offense to Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, but we don't go to these movies to see you. Now there's more time for male bonding, including some well-played and not over done scenes between Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The feeling of camaraderie among these honorable, charismatic thieves is far more noticeable this time around.
Ellen Barkin, however, struck me as too ditzy and scatterbrained to be the major domo of a major player like Pacino's Willy Bank.
And the plotting! Oh the plotting and the thieving -- twisty and complicated, with multiple cons and off the cuff plots -- I was very amused.
I got to see Eddie Izzard again, always a plus, but I have a feeling most of his plotline (about a rivalry with an old school chum) was left on the cutting room floor.
Charm, charisma by the bucketful, humor and just plain fun -- this will be a DVD purchase.
Matt Damon's sendoff -- "see you when I see you" -- leaves me hope for Oceans Fourteen.
No comments:
Post a Comment