Good film, but aloofness to audience sets it at a distance from being great

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2004)

Director Steven Soderbergh and his all-star cast are back for another round of fun and thievery, although this time the audience is left annoyingly out of the loop for most of the film. None of the actors slack off, slipping back into their roles with the ease of a pickpocket. They all seem to be having fun; the only trouble is the audience is not informed of their game. We are left on the side of enemies Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) and the Night Fox (Vincent Cassel), and it would have been nice to be in on the con.
This time around, Benedict wants his money back, threatens Ocean's crew with death, and they all get together to pull some quick heists to raise the dough. One problem: expert thief the Night Fox is playing a game of his own to steal the items before the Eleven can. All sorts of trouble ensues, with backstabbing, failing, and character flaws that are always part of a sequel. However, Soderbergh tries to use subtitles and freeze-frames with his usual stylishness, but this time they make no real sense and only seem a flashy gimmick to distract the audience from figuring anything out, which there is really no time for anyway due to the beautiful locations and lightning-quick pace of the plot. As mentioned before, the cast is back in top form, with new additions Cassel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and uncredited cameos by Topher Grace, Brian Cox, and a special surprise Hollywood guest (in a tongue-in-cheek jab at one of the film's main characters, among many other Hollywood inside jokes most viewers will not understand.) Overall, this film is just as good as the other one, only disappointing because of its refusal to befriend the audience. We are left only to watch from behind the ropes as the stars play their tricks on the red carpet.