No small riptide... Ocean's stands tall.

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2006)

After the (2001) Ocean's Eleven re-make they should have left it alone. Lightning struck, but not twice unfortunately. Having a second time around where they get 'caught' by Garcia's character is slightly more than just a little embarrassing. Get my meaning from the spelling there?! It made them look like a bunch of 'Wussies'.
That is how silly this new Ocean's twelve is. The biggest thing for me about this is that I like these players. They all brought a ton of talent and pulled this thing 'off' with incredible style and ease. With the first remake, not only were the camera-film shots very pleasing and artistic in set up, but also complete in story view/telling. The lines felt as if they were straight out of "the book of cool" from the sixties, only with a current 'pop' to them. Pitt was perfect. Always sporting a good appetizer platter with him and a well-delivered line not too much, not too little, just right. Along with Clooney and the rest, just fell solidly into place. Epic, right down to the soundtrack that blended into the foreground and back drop, bounced and moved along in and out with a silky-groove-dream sequence sensibility. The score (music) was the additional character that should have made that one 'Ocean's twelve'.
The story I thought had graduated into current times and left the sixties version at a deficit.
The interaction between the players from the two Utah brothers,(Caan and Affleck) who were more like elementary school kids than skilled heist men, that was obviously part of the fun! To the blackjack dealer with attitude (Bernie Mac-man) Clooney's Danny Ocean was one of the funnest characters he has had along with other good supporting guys (Matt Damon, Elliot Gould, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner) they all were top drawer in this hip-heist film. It was an 'edgy' story that made it out alive...Then they had to make a sequel. How many sequels truly make it. Probably less then more. Anything to make money right? Naw, couldn't be, "We're having a lot fun!" They said. Well good deal for them, but in the mean-time write something else good, and or original.
But for me this is a library addition keeper of a good time. Ocean's is tops. (****)