Ocean's 13 - getting even is not odd... :)

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2007)

(Karthik Narayan)
What are the odds of getting even?
No, not a question, it's the tag line of Ocean's 13, the latest movie in a long list of sequels that Hollywood directors have been pouring in this year  Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3 not to forget Fantastic Four.
After a disastrous Ocean's 12, the sequel had to very good to draw in the audience. So chopping and changing was required. The difference can be felt. The movie has an odd beginning  with Reuben falling into a dizzy after being cheated in a business deal by Bank (Al Pacino). Reuben banks on Danny Ocean and his team to get revenge.
Like in Ocean's 11 (the first movie of this series), this movie is also all about the ingenuity that this team can never fall short of. Being chronologically, technologically and logically well advanced, they go on to rig Bank's ultra hi-fi casino and ruin him.
Naturally money is a high value factor in the scheme of things and after the fiasco in Ocean's 12, the team runs out of money and seeks their old enemy, Benedict (Andy Garcia) to pitch in. Benedict, always the selfish double-crosser that he is, looks for more than a mere lending-returning transaction. Danny and team are forced to steal the diamonds in Banks' secret vault (even though they don't want to). Benedict hires Toulour (the Frenchman who torments Ocean in Ocean's 12) to steal it before Ocean can.
How Danny's ever increasing army of thieves baffles everyone and still manages not to get caught forms the rest of the movie.
The best part about the Ocean series of movies is that it doesn't have violence or abusive language (Yes, this movie will not win an Oscar for best script-writing!); there is no fist clenching and definitely no guns (though there are lots of Big Guns, if you know what I mean), except in the end when Toulour fools Linus (Matt Damon) with an empty gun barrel.
The entire series always has belonged to Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and George Clooney (who no doubt is aging but looks cool). I haven't seen an Al Pacino movie, so I can't comment on his acting as "Bank", but there isn't much anyway for him. There is no big female lead this time  no Julia Roberts, no Catherine Zeta Jones.
Following a little custom that we saw in Ocean's 11, (Lennox Lewis did a cameo) this time it's Oprah Winfrey with a surprise end to the movie that is worth waiting for.
Of all the sequels that were released this year, I would say this movie would rank among the better few.
My mom doesn't believe in Hollywood movies  to her, its all violence and nothing else. But I am going to ask her to watch Ocean's 11-13 to make her believe it's not always violent and intellect does remain in the movie world!
And yes, the movie tag line is a pun on its title, in case you didn't get it already!