Terrific - Thrilling and Funny

Rating: 9/10 (31 August 2005)

Soderbergh brings together a brilliant set of actors in this remake of the Sinatra classic. Filmed on location, any Vegas fan will fall in love with the "action" that's happening off the blackjack and craps tables. Danny Ocean (Clooney) is a criminal (and a liar, ha ha) who's just been released from jail. He dreams up a convoluted scheme to take down 3 of Vegas' largest casinos, all, incidentally, owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Danny needs money to fund the operation and a crew. Danny goes to Reuben Tishkoff, who'd love to see Terry go down. Next, Danny brings together the eclectic crew of criminals, from actors to bomb makers to a tiny Chinese gymnast.
The plot is fairly solid with a traditional twist at the end reminiscent of many suspense murders / robberies but it's the chemistry of the cast that really makes the film sparkle.
The subplot is Danny's romance of Tess, his ex, who is now with Terry.
Will Danny's pursuit of Tess endanger the pursuit of cold hard cash?