No, George Clooney’s Ocean’s XI was not an original film as many believe it to be; in fact, it was the reboot of a late 1960 rat pack flick having the same title and featuring an ensemble cast led by Frank Sinatra. However, the…
SAMAA | Omair Alavi – Posted: Jun 23, 2018 | Last Updated: 3 years ago
No, George Clooney’s Ocean’s XI was not an original film as many believe it to be; in fact, it was the reboot of a late 1960 rat pack flick having the same title and featuring an ensemble cast led by Frank Sinatra. However, the all-female spin-off of the Ocean’s trilogy is a welcome addition to the heist film because a) it has a cast to die for, b) it is the first Ocean movie in 10 years and c) it comes at a time when women empowerment movement is at its peak. Add a good plot and execution and you get a perfect flick that banks solely on heist followed by the peculiarity of the characters behind it.
The Plot
Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) decides to celebrate her new-found freedom by plotting a heist that would require talented females like her friends and their acquaintances. The plan is to steal the Toussaint – a $150 million Cartier necklace – during the Met Gala and divide the money amongst themselves. Things don’t go according to plan as one problem occur after another making it the heist all the more impossible – and impossible is the only way Oceans like it best.
The Good
Watching Sandra Bullock in any film is a treat and she is just incredible as the cool and calm Debbie Ocean here. To stand out in a cast of Academy Award Winners, Golden Globe Winners, Emmy Winners and Nominees (Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson besides Ms Bullock) is nothing short of an achievement. Anne Hathaway looked ravishing as she should have for a snobbish actress while Cate Blanchett provided the support an ‘Ocean’ needs. Helena Bonham Carter was brilliant as an out-of-fashion designer whereas the rest of the cast did well with whatever time they had on screen. You will not see a Rihanna on the screen but her character which is the best way to describe the ensemble cast in the least possible words.
The Bad
Many of the sequences in the film resemble the original reboot such as the scene where Brad Pitt’ character suspects that there is more than robbing a casino and confronts Clooney’s Danny Ocean; then there is the scene where Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is introduced to the audience which is more or less the same as the opening of Ocean’s XI. However, with the film having a different plot makes it worth your while even if you knew the outcome that came up with a classic twist.
The Verdict 3.5/5
It would have been better had more cast members from the Steven Soderbergh Ocean’s XI made it to this film, even as a cameo appearance. That would have given the film a surprise element that was missing from the plot. That weakness was accommodated by special appearances from real-life individuals including Kim Kardashian West and Maria Sharapova who were too hot to handle. The diversified cast did help in pulling the fans to the cinema and that’s one of the reasons why it did so well despite coming out as repetitive at some points.
