Everybody Just Wants To Have Fun.

Rating: 6/10 (19 January 2008)

Willie Bank back stabs Reuben and it leaves him fighting for his life. The gang hear about this and decide to make Willie lose all his money opening night at his new Casino, which Reuben was supposed to be a partner for.
After the wreck that was Oceans Twelve, the gang decided they needed to go out on top, so they decided to throw us Oceans Thirteen. While this third installment is leaps and bounds over the sequel, it still doesn't hold a candle to the original. With everything it does right, there are a few steps they miss. The biggest one? Action. There is no action in this film what so ever. The con itself is a little off as well, nothing big here, they simply make the house lose by rigging all the games. It doesn't turn out to be as exciting, but the laughs are there and there is also some fun had.
Everyone is back, with the exception of the two females from the first two. It's not their fight apparently. So it's boys night out. Just like the first two, you can tell that everyone is having fun here and nothing is to be taken too seriously. We have fun because we've been on the ride with them since the first film came out. Since this is the third time around it seems that most of them have very little to do this time around. This was a complaint many had with the second and is another one I have on this one. Bernie Mac is basically useless and used to "keep tabs" on certain characters. Soderbergh definitely saw that he didn't have much to do, so they threw him in for that task. As well as the character Yen, although for some reason they use him as a high roller. Would they do this? Take this risk for the things at stake? Pacino is a new addition and he's laid back here, surprisingly. He still chews up the scenery though. Ellen Barkin is also a new addition as Pacino's assistant. She plays a tough face, no stretch or anything. The funniest performance is from Casey Affleck, who helps with a strike in Mexico. Even Izzard and Garcia show up again.
Some of the things they do are a little stretched, as is the amount of money they have. But we go along for it anyway. We are here to watch the impossible happen. To watch these guys have fun doing the wrong things for the right reasons. The con is nothing special, they rig casino games. Nothing too extravagant, the whole film seems to be not trying as hard. With the sequel they are raising houses, nothing that big here, just rigging card games.
In the end, I can give this a recommendation because I did have fun. I never took any of it seriously and neither should you. If you want action and big cons, it won't be here. They go smaller this time. They also pull some twists, which is expected, so it doesn't come as a big shock when it happens. When any of them happen. There are lots of inside jokes as well, if you get them you'll enjoy it a little more. Either way, give it a try.