OCEAN'S TWELVE

 

"What are we stealing?"

Danny Ocean

Three years after Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his crew pulled off the heist that made them legendary in criminal circles, the man who was the target Terry Benedict (Garcia) has tracked them all down and he wants his money back, with interest. Far too well known to work in the US again, the eleven head for Europe and plan one more job that will clear their debt and save their lives but this time they might need one more member.

After the phenomenal success of the first movie, can 'Ocean's Twelve' steal your attention or will it be caught lacking?

It is very rare that so many A-list stars ever get together to make a movie but 'Ocean's 11' changed all that and George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and the rest of the crew loved it so much that they all return for the sequel. Under the direction of Steven Soderbergh again, the star studded ensemble come back with all the banter and camaraderie that made the first movie so good but unfortunately the excellent heist plotline has been stolen.

While the first movie built into a classic heist filled finale, with lots of twists and turns, the second film tries to do the same but it doesn't quite have the same fluidity and sheer, edge of your seat enjoyment as the original. Again it jumps about, throwing in twist after twist but the final pay off is abit of a let down, making the climax not as satisfying as the first movie.

The major plus point of the movie however is the cast. This is a collection of friends coming together to have a great time and make a movie at the same time. The banter between them is as good as ever, especially the scenes with Matt Damon, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. The dialogue just flows so naturally, you can tell that these megastars are genuine friends and the film benefits from it. The performances also reflect this as well, with the main characters growing even more likable and charming, making you feel a genuine affection of all of them. Julia Roberts and George Clooney continue their relationship as Tess and Danny. Matt Damon's Linus Caldwell is still trying to gain the respect of Danny and especially Rusty and make a bigger contribution to the job. Brad Pitt's Rusty Ryan is as cool as ever but could his weakness be the women he left behind in Rome. That woman is Isabel Lahiri, played by 'Ocean' newcomer Catherine Zeta Jones, who fits into the illustrious cast with the greatest of ease.

Unfortunately the supporting cast don't have as much screen time as you would like. This might be Ocean's twelve but only the A-list stars get the most screen time. In the first film, each character had their time in the limelight but in this one they are just there to make up the numbers. Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan and Eddie Jemison have nothing really to do in this one and their characters suffer for it. Shaobo Qin as grease-man Yen, spends most of his time in a bag. Bernie Mac, Andy Garcia and Don Cheadle also suffer but they do have more screen time than the other members of the twelve. Newcomer Vincent Cassel fares a lot better as François Toulour, Danny Ocean's new nemesis but even he could have done with more screen time.

'Ocean's Twelve' might seem like an excuse for a group of friends to come together and make a movie but even with all its faults there is still a lot to enjoy. Yes it is self-indulgent and isn't as well written as the first film but how often do you see as many stars on the big screen as this. The movie does just enough to steal your attention but it isn't the really big score you may have been expecting.

Ocean's Eleven

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2005