Very well done!

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2001)

I went in to this movie prepared to hate it, but hoping for the best. Being a huge Sinatra fan, I am probably one of the few people who really enjoyed the original, and not simply for camp.
And to be blunt... I just can't stand Julia Roberts. In my humble opinion she is just about as overrated as an actor can be.
But, this film was just plain great. Entertaining all around... funny, but not overly so... this film seemed very tight to me in it's weaving the story in a way that gives the big ensemble cast their own chances to develop their characters on screen without hurting the plot advancement. There are a bunch of "techno-heist" films out now... and I'll put Ocean's against any of them. While not entirely unpredictable, I was having such a good time throughout the whole film that I just didn't care. Terrific use of music to propel you through the story and provide a sense of pacing... just one of the many things I noticed about the movie.
My girlfriend even liked it, which brings the number of films we agree upon to 4... (should I be surprised that 3 of these films star Brad Pitt, I wonder?)
As for Julia... mercifully her role limited her to be the eye candy and not the Erin Brokovich, which I think she does much more convincingly.
I know it will never reap any real critical recognition, but for sure it has a spot on my dvd rack where it will see repeated use.
In my humble opinion.... probably the best remake ever. I really love well crafted movies... it takes so much work to make a feature length film, and to see one that is so well made all around is such a breath of fresh air.