Semi-enjoyable, overall a letdown with questionable cinematography

Rating: 5/10 (8 December 2004)

Ocean's 12 is destined to be relegated to the pile of sequels that didn't live up to the original. Watching it made me wonder if I was viewing a 'final draft' cut as some of the cuts and 'shaky cam' footage were distracting and some of the cinematography was frustrating (ie: bright background with a foreground so dark that actors' features weren't detailed during dialog.) Seeing as a lot of the movie is set outdoors or in a large rundown warehouse it was never going to be as aesthetically beautiful as the original with its Las Vegas setting.
Content wise the movie stops and starts which slows down the continuity. The original (original meaning the movie from a couple of years ago) had a definite Bad Guy, a definite Goal and a definite direction towards that goal; that isn't the case here. A few plot lines are created that are left unresolved and some of the other plot lines have sizeable holes dotted through them.
A couple of comic moments (particularly the cameo and the 'impersonation') are wonderful and prevent the movie from becoming lifeless. If you enjoy 'I know what happened, but how did it happen?' movies then this is worth watching and if you're a fan of Catherine Zeta-Jones you'll love this movie as she's absolutely beautiful in it, but if you're expecting Andy Garcia to play a prominent role (his Bad Guy in the original was great) you'll be disappointed; if you're expecting a high-tech crime movie with believable techy stuff you'll be very disappointed; if you're expecting a visually great movie (which is a fair expectation considering the Rome/Amsterdam setting) you'll be disappointed.
The under-use of Andy Garcia's character makes me believe that he'll be the main Bad Guy again if significant box intake results in another movie - but don't bank on it.
2.5 / 5.