Self-referential: see "self-referential"

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2005)

Ocean's Twelve works for me because it's self-referential; in other words, it plants its tongue firmly in its cheek, and scatters references through the film to the real life people/situations behind the film. I can't tell you how without bringing down the wrath of the IMDb spoiler police on my head, but let's say that if you enjoy Hitchcock cameos or the humour of films such as Star Trek IV ("Computer? Computer!"), you should like this one.
It's also refreshing to see a film that treats Europe as being more than Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum. I actually watched it in Rome, one of the locations used in the film, and not a single ancient ruin appeared (apart from George Clooney ;->); indeed, the opening scene of a line of cars all sounding their horns was familiar enough to send a laugh around the Roman audience.
There were one or two plot oddities that'll probably show up in the IMDb goofs section (Arsenal FC going from Amsterdam to Barcelona?! By bus?!) but overall, a good night out.