Very Entertaining, Though Not as Expected

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2007)

Ocean's 13 is an interesting third outing as it moves in a somewhat different direction from the slick, complicated misdirection of the first film and the mottled, forgettable attempts at humor of the second. Instead, the film is supported by character interaction, which succeeds on many different levels. This is no surprise of course considering the talent involved. All the actors contribute to the film well with the possible exceptions of George Clooney, who hams it up a bit more than usual, and some of the more minor character roles (mostly those outside Ocean's actual 13), which are a bit drowned in the enormity of the rest of the cast (an inevitability). The film is an enjoyable surprise because instead of stylized plot and grandiose emotion, it instead highlights subtle (and sometimes not so subtle in the case of Clooney's exaggeration) character interactions that keep the watcher chuckling and sometimes outright laughing throughout the entire movie. The standout performances are by far Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, who carry the film in most of the more humorous scenes. Pitt seems to be the smooth, cool anchor of the film always making the most of his screen time and persona, while still facilitating the other actors' performance. The only disappointment of the film (and it is only a minor disappointment) is Al Pacino. This may be an unpopular remark, but he does not stand out in his role instead he delivers a consistent, but unremarkable performance. Oceans 13 is an excellent and amusing piece of entertainment though it may not contain enough sex and violence to appeal to the crazed summer movie public.