11 Reason to See Ocean's 11

Rating: 7/10 (27 December 2001)

1. Its Funny. The banter between the characters is sometimes labored at being clever and cool - a fallout from Pulp Fiction. Some of the discusion is funny and the quirks and talents of its players will bring a smile to your face from time to time.
2. Brad Pitt. The ever-eating, sharply dressed brain of the outfit is played well by Pitt, who serves up a couple of laughs and cool handed tricks to make ladies eyes dilate.
3. Clever twists. The typical moviegoer will applaud the antics and mastery of these elite thieves, and just when we think we have everything figured out, there is one more trick to make us applaud again.
4. George Clooney. His dry and cool maner is great in his role as the lead idea man. His suave moves and slick lines are enough to win back a reluctant ex-love-interest, and fool the tough alter-ego alpha male.
5. Cameos. There are more than a few cameos of A and B list movie stars who appear in small supporting scenes in the film. Most of them however, are probably just happy to say that they were in a movie with Pitt, Clooney and Roberts.
6. Matt Damon. A chameleon of an actor who joins Ocean's crew as a young inexperienced, yet talented con artist and spy. Damon brings a nice prescence of awkward overconfidence to the all-cool cast of experienced thieves.
7. The Music. The bright lights of Vegas would be nothing without the big sounds and shows of lounge singers and classic vocalists. The soundtrack mixes these old school showstoping numbers, with exciting, tense classical music for the more intense robbery scenes.
8. The clothes. Almost every player in this movie is a picture out of GQ or Cosmopolitan magazine. Its a wonder if designers lined up at Steven Sodderberg's door begging him to let his glorious cast wear their latest chinos and hipcat suits.
9. The gadgets. New technology gives way to more ingenious and exciting ways to illustrate a hiest. In the way that James Bond and Mission Impossible uped the anti with cool gadgets, Oceans 11 finds ways to move the plot along by introducing cutting edge technology.
10. Andy Garcia. Where has he been all this time? Well, he's here now and does a fine job being the film's lead antagonist. A greedy casino boss with a nose for scams and a few dollars for his main squeeze, Garcia is great as the headstrong guy you love to hate.
11. Steven Sodderberg. Coming off is last film - the masterpiece Traffic - Sodderberg summoned Hollywood's best and most popular actors to recreate the Rat Pack from the 1960's. He keeps the story moving along, twisting it to a predictable outcome. Gee, what did you think was going to happen?
You know what you are going to get, but it's an enjoyable meal none-the-less. Julia Roberts is in the film also. She is good, but had too small a role to be a reason to see it. Final Rating = 6.5/10