The Gang's All Back, Taking Europe By "Ocean"!

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2004)

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** "Ocean's Twelve" reunites Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his previously assembled gang of peculiar thieves, by the name of Ocean's Eleven. It seems that their ruthless victim Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) uncovered their doings and somehow all of their identities, and has a grudge against them along with an urgent threat: pay up or ship out. Thus ensues yet another ingenious scheme by Ocean's Eleven (this time around, as the title suggests, a "twelfth member", Tess Ocean (Julia Roberts) plays a somewhat dominant (and amusing) role in the plot), to rob a prized "golden egg" from a European museum, once again, a seemingly infeasible task which can only be perpetrated by the most cunning, collected, suave, and industrial of minds, as this gang has proved itself to be. A romantic interest for Rusty (Brad Pitt) with the luscious, yet officious Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones), as well as a new nemesis known as the Night Fox, are just some of the new developments of this splendid crime caper franchise. With a less engineered and more liberated plot structure than its predecessor, "Ocean's Twelve" is not quite as sensational and rewarding, lacking much of the energy and originality, as well as character structure, where the original triumphed. Whereas the first heist was an elaborate, critical operation, the museum heist is more of an intricate game, a jigsaw (even in its logic) and practically a charade with the cunning and elusive Night Fox, and there is significantly less attention devoted to the actual heist than its perplexing, yet engaging, design. Although a few of "Ocean's Eleven" (now Twelve) play a more "central role" in the action (e.g. Linus (Damon) and Tess (Roberts), many of the characters are merely around for show and hardly serve a purpose in the actual heist. And speaking of the heist, the details to the "surprise ending" couldn't be detected by the keenest of observers, at least until the end, which can be either be a baffling and illogical excuse for a resolution, or an exceedingly clever plot structure, that marvelously pieces together every "invisible" detail of the heist as an explanation to how the gang "outfoxed" the Night Fox. Featuring the usual industrial, meticulous, and prudent direction of Steven Soderberg, whose gritty editing translates as pure energy to an exceedingly exciting premise, some fine and jovial acting from all of the leads, adept and subtle plot structure, and a very awesome and stimulating score, "Ocean's Twelve", while not quite equaling its excellent predecessor, is definitely a solid piece of high octane, feel-good, debonair entertainment, and it's enticing, exhilarating, and sexy- a must-see for fans of crime caper films and great escapist fare for the holiday season! ***1/2 out of ****