Carl Reiner loosely resurrects Alan Brady

Rating: 7/10 (30 December 2007)

As with "Ocean's 11", the best parts here are everything leading up to the heist (I haven't as yet seen "Ocean's 12"). I guess that I've always thought that the coolest parts of elaborate plots are the plots themselves rather than the result. Just earlier this month, I went to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's "Love" (a visual production of the Beatles' songs; I highly recommend it), so it was fairly interesting to see the sites here. I interpreted Willie Banks's (Al Pacino) hotel as the real symbol of Las Vegas: disgustingly giant so as to fulfill one's own hubris.
All in all, "Ocean's Thirteen" is some pretty neat entertainment. Steven Soderbergh has certainly proved himself a capable director during these past few years. Playing their roles from the earlier movies are George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould. In fact, Carl Reiner's character reminded me of his earlier Alan Brady (the boss on "The Dick Van Dyke Show"). The bald Alan always wears a wig, just like Reiner's character here wears a wig as part of his disguise.
The new cast members are Pacino, Ellen Barkin, Eddie Izzard and David Paymer.