Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2012)

Coming off the muddled misstep of OCEAN'S TWELVE, Soderbergh proves that he can still produce high-quality Hollywood fare when he puts his mind to it. Alleviating most of the problems that plagued the second installment, he uses his star power cast much more efficiently, delivers a scheme that's complex without being confusing, and takes a step back from making the characters superhuman. The glitz and style and polish help make this a very entertaining flick, perhaps the best in the series (though I must confess my memories of the first one are fuzzy). My one beef would be that Danny Ocean has it a little too easy this time, and while I enjoyed his easygoing cleverness, I wished for a few more obstacles in his path. Any snags in the plan are deftly overcome, and Al Pacino's character does not make for an intimidating protagonist. Still a very fun ride, though.