Highly Watchable Fluff Quickly Forgotten

Rating: 5/10 (26 December 2007)

This film is not the kind of story I'm interested in (= the interactions among various Las Vegas casino owners), but I was curious as to what a film with so many current 'stars' would be like. I'd planned to turn it off to go to bed, but couldn't stop watching it wondering what was going to happen. Give credit to the film makers for this "I couldn't take my eyes off it" quality!
This was due to the fast paced editing; the complicated plans and details in having Danny Ocean's Thirteen simultaneously bankrupt the evil casino owner Willie Banks (Al Pacino) and steal his collection of diamonds; the quick cutting between so many characters and their roles in the plot; and as to whether or not Ellen Barkin was going to take off her clothes.
Finally the caper is pulled off, and as the main characters watch actual fireworks above the towering buildings, we think-- so what? Therein lies the problem. We really don't care about any of these people.
Only Al Pacino gets my sympathy because of his tremendous ability to convey presence in his acting, and Carl Reiner for his practically mini cameo as the reviewer. George Clooney in this movie seems like he's a fugitive runaway host from 'Family Feud,' or 'The Price is Right.' (I applaud his work in 'Fail Safe' (2000), which was done live in television in black and white, and the amazing 'Good Night and Good Luck' (2005) in which he, thankfully, only played a minor role.) This film kind of plays like an ensemble picture, but the ensemble characters interact with each other very little except mostly in pairs or trios.
The absolute fantasy of the caper is certainly appropriate to the fantasy that is Las Vegas itself, and should be viewed as such. It doesn't have to make sense, but just move along quickly and give each of the actors a little screen time.
This is a movie that will join the vast "Who Cares" heap of high budget films that twenty years from now will hardly ever be viewed, except to see the Brad Pitt 'walk ons.' I give it a 5.