Easygoing spy caper might be the best of the three

Rating: 6/10 (15 November 2011)

This easygoing and lighthearted caper movie is a definite step up on the second in the series – although I hope this marks the end of the trilogy rather than a prelude to any further sequels. It's a film you're going to like if you appreciate the talents of the cast – Clooney, Pitt, Damon et al – all of whom are by now well settled into their sophisticated roles. In fact, THIRTEEN might well have the edge on ELEVEN , as the ingenious plot – detailing an immense and complicated scam on a mega-casino – is so well devised that I had a ball watching it play out.
Of course, there's nothing much here that hasn't been done before, and the film might well be too smart for its own good. Some of the supporting players – Eddie Izzard, Shaobo Qin – are more irritating than amusing, and Al Pacino's repugnant villain is one of the most unpleasant characters he's played in a long career. But there are other highlights that deflect from the flaws – Ellen Barkin's sexy femme fatale (sadly with the distraction of too much collagen, but otherwise perfect), a plethora of cutting-edge technological wizardry, some nicely judged twists and Soderbergh's debonair direction, all of which combine to make this a relaxing and genuinely fun outing for the crew.