Ocean's Twelve

Rating: 7/10 (22 May 2006)

Ocean's Eleven (2002) is an awesome film  fact. It's got class, plot, good characters (more impressive considering the number of people it involves), humour, and tons of style. And whilst the sequel brings back everyone from the original it is, to be blunt, not as good. It is good, just not as good.
But this has nothing to do with the cast, which are still the high-point of the film, whether it be the general bickering amongst the group or George Clooney's and Brad Pitt's near telepathic conversations, and everything they had to make the first film so entertaining has been preserved here  it is evident that the cast and crew had a huge amount of fun making the film. All the newcomers are excellent as well, particularly Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Europol agent and former lover of Rusty's (Pitt). So there can be no complaints about the cast.
Where the complaints lie (and it must be said that whilst compared to the first film this is not as great, it is still better than most of the films I've seen recently) are in the plot, and the general look of the film. The plot is a little rushed, and seems almost just an excuse to get the gang back for another round. After a rather effective scene with Terry Benedict threatening each member of the group individually, the film jumps to Europe (Amsterdam, Rome, and Paris to be specific), and this constant moving around can feel a little disorientating compared to the original.
Also, because there is not much of a time frame for the team, there is no time to plan  and therefore show  the elaborate heist. This sense of urgency is punctuated by the use of a shaky camera, but this just alienates the audience from the sense of style from Ocean's Eleven. It also gives the feeling that the whole team just aren't as smooth as they were last time. The sense of timing is a little confusing as well, as it keeps jumping from the past to the present and back again. Finally, the real problem is (and I don't think I'm really giving anything away) that there is no big heist here, at least not in comparison to the lengthy and elaborate heist from Ocean's Eleven. And unlike last time, instead of one big twist  and we all know there's going to be one  it is broken up into several smaller twists which deadens the impact somewhat.
However, as I said above, Ocean's Twelve is a good film. The above complaints are justified because we know what this cast and crew are capable of. So in that respect it is a bit disappointing; but there is plenty to enjoy and it should keep you well entertained. The humour is still very much there, probably even amplified this time around, with several laugh-out-loud moments; including one surreal, though fairly amusing scene, where Tess (Julia Roberts) has to get involved and impersonate Julia Roberts! It comes across as a little too much like a pantomime but is still fun nonetheless, especially when she runs into old "friend" Bruce Willis.
The joy about Ocean's Eleven, and therefore Ocean's Twelve, is that it never takes itself too seriously, allowing the audience to sit back and enjoy the fun which, although not on a par with the original, is still damn fine entertainment.
Rated: 7/10
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Second opinion/ Re-viewing:
I think Ocean's Twelve caught me on a good day, because I can now see how much the quality dips in the second dose of Danny Ocean and pals. The Julia-Roberts-being-herself scene - described in the main review as "fun" - is actually very painful and embarrassing to watch. The whole adventure seems like an excuse for the cast to come back and just have a good time amongst themselves; the problem is that they seem to have left the audience out of their group, ensuring that all the obvious excitement on screen is not translated in a way the audience can truly latch onto. Let hope that Steven Soderbergh can recreate the magic from Ocean's Eleven in time to make a difference on the recently announced Ocean's Thirteen.
Re-rated: 6/10