Ocean’s Thirteen Review

Synopsis
After Reuben (Elliott Gould) gets double crossed by a new business partner, Willy Bank (Al Pacino), Danny (George Clooney), Rusty (Brad Pitt) and the rest of the gang set out for payback.

Review
I was not very impressed with Ocean’s Twelve. Granted my anticipation after Ocean’s Eleven may have been too high, it didn’t have the same heart. So going into Ocean’s Thirteen, I was a little more cautious. Maybe it was because my expectations were lower, but Ocean’s Thirteen is the sequel Ocean’s Eleven deserves.

Once again, the chemistry between not just George Clooney and Brad Pitt but the entire gang, is just so much fun. It all feels so natural, like this is just another day, another dollar. This is their third job as a group so it’s no surprise that they are as strong as ever. I’ve been amazed that throughout the entire Ocean’s series, even though the ensemble cast is very large, everyone still manages to get their own development and some sort of interaction with everyone else on the team.

The series started in Las Vegas, so it’s only natural that they return to Vegas for the last outing. Sequels have a very difficult task of needing to remain true to the original film while doing something to keep it feeling fresh. This is where Ocean’s Thirteen triumphs over Ocean’s Twelve. Twelve definitely had the right idea to change to location to Europe. However, it diverged from the core of Eleven too much. Thirteen goes back to its roots and feels much more like Eleven.

What makes this an interesting heist is that they aren’t stealing the money for themselves, but rather trying to screw Banks from his money and give it to his casino’s patrons. That is what I have liked about the Ocean’s series. This group is no doubt a group of thieves, but the are a lovable group of thieves and they have a code.

Throughout the previous Ocean’s films, Linus’ dad is regularly brought up. It is implied that he is an amazing thief and Linus (Matt Damon) gets upset every time he gets mentioned. Finally, we get to meet him and the meeting is every bit as humorous as you would expect it to be.

Ocean’s Thirteen gets back to what made Ocean’s Eleven so fun and enjoyable. They are back in Las Vegas, the job is simple, well simple from a story point of view, and the titular group is all together and are having a blast. Most the main players from the previous two films return in some capacity. This could have become a convoluted mess like Ocean’s Twelve, but thankfully it doesn’t and proves that simplicity is the key to a great heist film.

Rating
3.5/5

For the rest of the Ocean’s Trilogy, read my reviews for Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve.

Favorite Quote
Saul: This is why revenge jobs don’t work, Daniel. You put yourself in a position you know you should walk away from but you can’t. That’s how guys die or go to jail.
Danny: Alright. So anybody want to walk away? [Everyone is silent]
Rusty: Saul?
Saul: I didn’t say I was walking away. Let’s gut the son of a bitch.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Steven Soderbergh – Director
Brian Koppelman – Writer
David Levien – Writer
David Holmes – Composer

George Clooney – Danny Ocean
Brad Pitt – Rusty Ryan
Al Pacino – Willy Bank
Matt Damon – Linus Caldwell
Elliott Gould – Reuben Tishkoff
Eddie Jamison – Livingston Dell
Don Cheadle – Basher Tarr
Shaobo Qin – Yen
Casey Affleck – Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan – Turk Malloy
Bernie Mac – Frank Catton
Carl Reiner – Saul Bloom
Eddie Izzard – Roman Nagel
Andy Garcia – Terry Benedict
Ellen Barkin – Abigail Sponder
David Paymer – The VUP
Olga Sosnovska – Debbie
Vincent Cassel – Francois Toulour
Bob Einstein – Agent Caldwell

Ocean’s Twelve Review

Synopsis
When Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) discovers “Ocean’s Eleven” were the ones responsible for robbing his casinos, he tracks them down and demands they repay him everything they stole, with interest. Unable to perform jobs in the United States, they travel to Amsterdam. While in Amsterdam, Danny (George Clooney) and Rusty (Brad Pitt) are challenged by Europe’s greatest thief, the Night Fox (Vincent Cassel), to find out who is the best thief in the world.

Review
A few of the things I discuss in this review may be spoiler-ish, so heads up.

Ocean’s Eleven is one of my all time favorite movies. So I was more than excited to see the whole gang back together again. Now I don’t say often that I’m let down by a movie (disappointed maybe, but not necessarily let down), but I’m let down by Ocean’s Twelve. The entire cast was returning, plus they were moving their operations to Europe, a place ripe with heist possibilities. It had so much going for it, but it never can harness it and becomes a mess.

I will start with some good and say this: the chemistry hasn’t changed and is still the best part about the film. The banter and playfulness that helped make Ocean’s Eleven so enjoyable still remains. Everyone returns for Ocean’s Twelve, including Tess, who gets a much bigger role. They are every bit as fun as before, never failing to bring a smile to your face.

Unfortunately, the group gets smaller and smaller as the movie goes on, limiting the interactions to only a handful by the end. It’s nice to see Linus (Matt Damon) starting to take some of the leadership role. It’s good character growth but there could have been a better way to build him up than take away Danny and Rusty. Oh wait, there was. Just look at Ocean’s Thirteen. Without the entire group together, it’s just not the same.

Even though this movie was about the heist, it didn’t feel like it was about the heist, if that makes sense. There was a lot of heist planning, but it was sporadic. As a result, the pacing suffered and felt awkward. Since the members are getting picked up by the authorities one by one, every time someone was captured, the remaining members had to come back and adjust the plan. Sometimes this can work well, look at The Next Three Days, but I don’t think it worked that well here. And with the reveal and the end, I’m left thinking ‘what was the point of that’ and I end up feeling I mostly wasted two hours.

Another fun part about Ocean’s Eleven was that even though there was a lot going on, it was still simple. Here, there’s this whole “wheels within wheels” thing going on that makes for a really complex plot that is very difficult to follow. Characters pop up, go away, then are briefly mentioned later on. Then again, the end just leaves one question: ‘why?’ This films tries to be clever but It trips over itself.

I know I’m bashing this movie pretty hard, but there is still fun to be had. Any time spent watching Danny Ocean and his merry band of thieves is always a good time. However, after enjoying the payoff of Ocean’s Eleven, the payoff from Ocean’s Twelve doesn’t compare. Not even close.

Rating
2.5/5

For the rest of the Ocean’s Trilogy, read my reviews for Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Thirteen.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Steven Soderbergh – Director
George Nolfi – Writer
David Holmes – Composer

George Clooney – Danny Ocean
Brad Pitt – Rusty Ryan
Julia Roberts – Tess Ocean
Catherine Zeta-Jones – Isabel Lahiri
Matt Damon – Linus Caldwell
Casey Affleck – Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan – Turk Malloy
Shaobo Qin – Yen
Bernie Mac – Frank Catton
Don Cheadle – Basher Tarr
Carl Reiner – Saul Bloom
Eddie Jemison – Livingston Dell
Elliott Gould – Reuben Tishkoff
Andy Garcia – Terry Benedict
Vincent Cassel – Francois Toulour
Robbie Coltrane – Matsui
Eddie Izzard – Roman Nagel
Cherry Jones – Molly Star
Bruce Willis – Himself

Ocean’s Eleven Review

Synopsis
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) put together a team of con-artists to rob three of the largest casinos on the Las Vegas strip simultaneously.

Review
Do you have one of those movies that you can watch over and over again and enjoy it your hundredth time just as much as your first time? Ocean’s Eleven is one of those movies for me. My best friend and I would watch this movie all the time. We could even quote the whole movie. I have seen this so many times that if I fall asleep while watching it, I can tell you the exact moment I fell asleep. I can’t say that about too many movies.

What really makes this movie click is George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Their chemistry is superb. Seriously, every time they are on screen together, you are in for a treat. Their conversations flow like old friends together again, which is what their characters are. These fun exchanges extend to more than just the two leads. The entire team bounces back and forth off each other throughout the entire movie.

As the title suggests, the cast is fairly large. Ensembles can be difficult to balance each character’s screen time. Danny gets the most focus, which makes sense since his name is in the title, but the film does a great job of balancing everyone. I felt that each character got at least one scene with every other character, leading to some of the great exchanges like I mentioned above.

I’ve said before that the main reason I enjoy heist movies is for the setup. About seventy-five percent of the movie is spent on the titular eleven working together to prepare for the heist. Again it all comes down to these characters interacting with each other. No matter who is in the scene, they will do or say something that will make you smile. There are as many visual gags as there are verbal. As always, seeing the heist pulled off is the biggest payout. There were times when the camera would zoom or focus on an item that didn’t make sense in the moment but would be focused on again in the end and it would become clear why that item was important. Small things like that bring the film together for me.

I’ve been talking a lot about the eleven that I haven’t even brought up the rest of the cast. Andy Garcia is intimidating as Terry Benedict, the victim of Danny Ocean’s plan. He is mentioned several times before he is actually seen on screen. The film gives you an idea of the kind of person he is before he even shows up. Then you see his cunning and ruthlessness for yourself. Julia Roberts as Tess was good, too. The only characters she talked to was Terry, Rusty, and Danny so she didn’t have as many scenes as the rest.

Ocean’s Eleven is so enjoyable simply because of the cast. The heist may not be the most exciting of movie heists, but the planning and interactions between all the characters is so enjoyable. If the chemistry wasn’t there, this movie would fall flat. Thankfully the chemistry is top notch, making it rise above so many similar films

Rating
5/5

For the rest of the Ocean’s Trilogy, read my reviews for Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen.

Favorite Moment

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Steven Soderbergh – Director
Ted Griffin – Screenplay
David Holmes – Composer

George Clooney – Danny Ocean
Brad Pitt – Rusty Ryan
Andy Garcia – Terry Benedict
Julia Roberts – Tess Ocean
Bernie Mac – Frank Catton
Elliott Gould – Reuben Tishkoff
Casey Affleck – Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan – Turk Malloy
Eddie Jemison – Livingston Dell
Shaobo Qin – Yen
Carl Reiner – Saul Bloom
Matt Damon – Linus Caldwell
Don Cheadle – Basher Tarr
Michale DeLano – Casino Manager (“Walsh”)

Iron Man 2 Review

Review #111

Synopsis
Six months after revealing himself as Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) is dying from the arc reactor in his chest, the very device that is keeping him alive. While searching for a viable solution, he is also fighting the US senate and Hammer Industries, led by Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), for access to the Iron Man suit. Hammer recruits Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), son of Anton Vanko, co-creater of the arc reactor with Tony’s father, to help create his version of the Iron Man suit. But Ivan has much bigger plans.

Review
After Marvel hit fandom and blockbuster gold with Iron Man, their follow up, The Incredible Hulk, showed signs of how encompassing their shared universe would be. Then in Iron Man 2, it really becomes apparent how vast the universe is going to become. Although not quite as exciting or engaging as the first Iron Man film, Marvel Studio’s first sequel delivers a through and through action adventure that is used to expand the universe further.

The way they did the villains in this film was interesting. There are two separate villains, Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko, but they are like reflections of two aspects of Tony Stark. Hammer is the billionaire, weapons manufacturer side and Vanko is the smart, scientist / engineer side of Tony. They are two evil mirrors and are used to show two paths Tony could have eventually gone down (or one if you consider just the bad guy aspect).

Sam Rockwell is a great addition as Justin Hammer. He is very charismatic and finds the perfect balance between Hammer’s charismatic and villainous sides. I don’t want to say I can’t picture anyone else in the part, but you would probably be hard-pressed to find someone who could fulfill it as successfully. Ivan Vanko, on the other had, could have been played by any Hollywood tough guy. He isn’t there to do much besides look tough, which Mickey Rourke no doubt accomplishes, and be the bad guy for Iron Man to punch.

I have mixed feelings about Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard as Rhodey. It’s not that he did a bad job. No, it’s much weirder than that. I just don’t like the way he looks in the War Hammer suit. Cheadle is slightly shorter than RDJ, but when he is in the suit Cheadle is slightly taller than him. I know that is an odd complaint but it bugs me more than it should.

I also was disappointed that Whiplash, Vanko’s supervillain persona, was based on the same technology as Tony’s, just like Iron Monger from the previous movie. I remember when this movie was first being talked about, there were rumors that the villain would be the Mandarin, arguably one of the biggest Iron Man rouges, and I was excited. But when the film was released, I was let down to see it was another man in a suit.

Especially with the inclusion of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the rest of SHIELD, Iron Man 2 started to become stuffed. I don’t blame the movie for this, it wasn’t the film’s fault. It was Marvel’s because they wanted to demonstrate that their world was going to be expansive and started to really pave the way for The Avengers. However, it manages to dovetail it into the story so it doesn’t become too obtrusive.

It may sound like I’m bashing the film quite a bit, but I actually enjoy Iron Man 2. I may be impartial to Don Cheadle as Rhodey, but I am fond of War Machine’s inclusion. Although I wish the villain had been something other than another Iron Man wannabe, it explored Tony’s character and gave the first real idea of the immense Marvel world to come.

Rating
3.5/5

Also check out my reviews for the other films in Marvel’s Phase 1: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers.

Favorite Quote
Iron Man: They’re coming in hot, any second. What’s the play?
War Machine: Well, we want to take the high ground, okay? So let’s put the biggest gun on that ridge.
Iron Man: Got you. [Both start walking towards ridge] Where do you want to be?
War Machine: Where are you going?
Iron Man: What’re you talking about?
War Machine: I meant me.
Iron Man: You have a big gun. You are not the big gun.
War Machine: Tony, don’t be jealous.
Iron Man: No. It’s subtle, all the bells and whistles.
War Machine: Yeah. It’s called being a badass.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Jon Favreau – Director
Justin Theroux – Screenplay
John Debney – Composer

Robert Downey, Jr. – Tony Stark
Gwyneth Paltrow – Pepper Potts
Don Cheadle – James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes
Scarlett Johansson – Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff
Sam Rockwell – Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke – Ivan Vanko
Paul Bettany – JARVIS (voice)
Jon Favreau – ‘Happy’ Hogan
Samuel L. Jackson – Nick Fury
Clark Gregg – Agent Coulson
Garry Shandling – Senator Stern
John Slattery – Howard Stark

Iron Man 3 Review

This was actually the first review I had done when I started writing reviews earlier this summer.  I forgot about it until a few weeks ago, so I held off posting it until the the home release of the film.  If I had written it more recently, I would have included something about how the ending offers a potential origin for Ultron in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, but I’m posting as-is.  I hope you check out this film because it’s truly amazing.  But enough of my blabbing, onto the review!

Synopsis
After the events of Marvel’s The Avengers, Tony’s (Robert Downey Jr.) world is flipped upside-down. Realizing there is much that he does not understand, he buries himself in his workshop. Meanwhile, The Mandarin (Ben Kingley), leader of the Ten Rings, increases his reign of terror across the US. When his Malibu home is destroyed, Tony is forced to confront his demons and learn if he makes Iron Man or Iron Man makes him?

Review
Wow. Just wow. Iron Man 3 is an ingenious film crafted by Marvel and a good cap to the journey we have seen Tony make through Phase One. In Iron Man and Iron Man 2, we get to see Tony transform into Iron Man and what he can do while in the suit, but he is still a playboy throughout most of those movies with some of that changing towards the end of 2. But in The Avengers we see him make the full transformation into a hero, including self-sacrifice. All of these events have made an affect on Tony that is a central focal point for Iron Man 3. In my opinion, The Avengers was essentially Iron Man 2.5, building on Tony Stark’s character more than the other heroes.

One of my favorite aspects of Iron Man 3 is we get to see how Tony is able to operate while outside of the Iron Man armor. Sure, I would have liked to see more of the Mark 42, it was an awesome suit, but we have seen Tony in armor for three movies already. It’s a nice change of pace to see what he can do outside the armor, using just his brains and ingenuity.

There is a TON of humor laced throughout Iron Man 3 and it works. Whenever things get too serious, a joke is made to lighten the mood back up. There were a few times it felt a little forced, but for the most part it was well executed and enjoyable.

Despite not being in the suit too much, there are quite a bit of action sequences. And they are all awesome! It is obvious that a lot of time went into the special effects and it pays off. The effects are beautiful and almost worth the admission price alone. Plus, not only does Tony get a few punches in outside the suit, Rhodey and Pepper get in on the action as well. Pepper even dons the suit for a while!

It will be a sad day when RDJ hangs up the Iron Man suit for good.  He has become synonymous with Tony Stark and it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role.  On the other hand, I have started to accept Don Cheadle as Rhodey, but there is a part of me (most of me, actually) that wishes Terrence Howard would not have been replaced.  It is still awkward to see RDJ tower of Cheadle then have them see eye-to-eye when they are in the suits.  And I think Howard had better chemistry with RDJ than Cheadle does, but Cheadle has definitely grown into the role.

I only really have two big gripes with Iron Man 3. My first is the portrayal of the Mandarin. I’ll admit that I was one of those comic book guys who were salivating when I saw him in the trailer. I was really excited to see Iron Man’s greatest enemy (Mandarin is to Iron Man as Green Goblin is to Spider-Man) finally hit the big screen. I won’t spoil anything, but his depiction wasn’t what I was expecting. But you know what, in the context of this film, I’ve excepted it and realized it actually made the plot that much more exciting and interesting. Had the Mandarin been exactly like his comic book counterpart, it would have changed the entire film, and it is hard to say if the product would have been better.

My other grievance is the use of extremis, although this is due more to the comic fan boy in me than the movie itself. Since extremis essentially rewrites DNA, this allows for endless possibilities for super powers. However, all we see is the ability to melt things with their bodies. The final fight at the end would have been a perfect place to showcase how versatile extremis can really be. But like I said, that is just the comic nerd inside me.

Iron Man 3 is an excellent film that blends characterization with action, while never detracting from either and forms an excellent kick-of to Marvel’s Phase Two slate of movies.

Rating
4.5/5

Also check out my reviews for the other films in Marvel’s Phase 2: Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Ant-Man.