Twelve is the new Eleven

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2005)

Who needs twelve drummers drumming when you've got twelve con artists and thieves vying for ways to steal $190 million in two weeks? Why $190 million? That's the amount stolen from Las Vegas casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) in Ocean's Elevenand he wants his money backwith interest! Set three years after the end of the Eleven escapades, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) reassembles his eleven con artists and thieves, adding one new team member, to appease an angry Benedict who only gives the team two weeks to return all of the cash. Meanwhile, Ocean's Twelve tries to avoid confrontations with an inexplicable French rival called the "Night Fox" and dodge Europol agent Isabel Lehiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones). All bets are off. Directed by Steven Soderbergh proves something. With eleven announced production jobs currently, Soderbergh has it in for himself. Not only did he direct Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed other magnificent films such as Traffic, Erin Brockovich, and The Limey. One large incentive to seeing Ocean's Twelve is the acting. This movie definitely screams big names. Co-stars George Clooney (Intolerable Cruelty, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and Brad Pitt (Troy, Meet Joe Black) really complement each other. Other stars of Ocean's Twelve include Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity), Catherine Zeta-Jones (The Terminal), Andy Garcia (Night Falls On Manhattan), and Julia Roberts (Closer). The difference between this original and its sequel is the dialogue. When watching Ocean's Eleven, one is on the edge of the seat, but in Ocean's Twelve one finds himself laughing more. The excess humor in the sequel gives it a different taste than the original. The cinematography in this film is definitely accentuated by the variety. The many different camera angles and transitions in this motion picture truly amazed me. The storyline adds its spice, allowing this movie to shine. Musically, the mood was well conveyed through the music. There were times when I could notice the disposition being expressed by simple music. As an apparent success, Ocean's Twelve was number one at the Box-Office its first weekend. Competing with Blade: Trinity, which came out Wednesday December 8, wasn't a hard task. Ocean's Twelve took in $39.2 million right away, leaving Blade: Trinity to $24.5 million gross and National Treasure to third place in the dust. With a mild PG-13 rating for brief language, the film is peppered with language but doesn't take over the movie. Overall, Ocean's Twelve was to my liking. Without a seat available in the theater, the success of this movie was outstanding. I'm glad that Clooney was more appealing than Wesley Snipes, otherwise, I'd be frightened with the world I'm living in.