the flashiest Casino sting yet

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2007)

'Ocean's 13' is the first of the trilogy I have seen, so can't comment on whether it is any better than 12 or 11. I am familiar with the original Sinatra/Rat Pack movie, and 'Ocean's 13' certainly nods back to that. "You shook Sinatra's hand. You should know better" is a payoff line near the end.
Plot? Well, a Casino gets scammed. Big time. You do have to understand how blackjack, roulette, etc work to start with to appreciate the intricacies of the sting (and I got lost now and then), but the ideas are audacious and inventive, and fun.
Our villain this time is Al Pacino, looking rather orange and playing nasty with relish. His sidekick is the purring and flighty Ellen Barkin, all pouts and wiggles like an ageing Marilyn Monroe. Amongst the heroes, the gang who pull off the scam, are George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Eddie Izzard (absolutely atrocious acting), and more.
Performances are generally OK. Effects, especially an earthquake, are well-done. In-jokes and laughs are there too, and the film fairly drips with the Hollywood gloss polished all over it.
'Ocean's 13' is OK. It's probably worth your time to spend a couple of hours in the cinema if that's your thing. It is formulaic and does what it says on the tin. There's no tension or doubts, really, but a slightly muddled ending lets it down a bit. I'd rate it average.