Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Stay away, stay very far away - Review written on January 17, 2008
Rating: 1 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful, 1 did not.
Holy crap. This is the most contrived, conceited attempt at a movie I've ever seen. I couldn't WAIT to see this, because I loved Ocean's 11 so much. Spoiler alert: Julia Robert's character gets into the high-falootin museum because she looks like ... Juila Robers. No, I'm not making this up, the character played by Julia Roberts is recognized in the movie as a Julia Roberts look alike. I assume this is supposed to somehow be clever, but it hits you in the wall like a sledgehammer of stupid. Completely destroys the willing suspension of disbelief, and makes you realize that the real theives in this caper are the writer and director, and the real victim is YOUR wallet. On top of this, they actually think it's reasonable that a Fabrege egg, one of the most valuable things on the planet, is transported by some kid in a backpack - because no one would EVER think they'd transport it that way! How CLEVER! Of course, the idiocy of the script is that, indeed, the egg is transported in this zero-security fashion, and -- oh golly, guess what -- it is stolen.
So dumb I want to sue anyone to get my 90 minutes back.
I didn't think it was possible to mess up a movie with this cast, but I was wrong.
fun caper with cool European setting - Review written on December 27, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful, 1 did not.
This movie was fun to watch: hilarious dialogue, a nice twist in the plot, a terrific soundtrack, and interesting characters- even the villain was amusing. It is nothing like Ocean's Eleven or Ocean's Thirteen, maybe because of the European setting, which added to its charm: Las Vegas is not an attractive city, but Paris, Amsterdam and Rome are beautiful. It hearkens back to those classic old movies where the scenery and the actors are attractive, and the dialogue is quick and witty. Catherine Zeta-Jones character and acting really makes the movie, and I have not usually been a fan of hers. The way the actors play off each other, and the natural dialogue make it fun to watch- you really care about what happens to these people. They are fun. From Yen's speaking Chinese (which the characters understand) to the way Clooney is "only fifty from the neck up", to Bernie Mac's nail salon fetish. This is a great choice for people who enjoy light-hearted heist movies set in Europe. I won't give away the ending except to say you'll want to see it again to piece it all together and figure it out- but that is half the fun! So make an espresso and order up some Tiramisu and enjoy yourself!
Shallow Ocean - Review written on August 05, 2007
Rating: 2 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
Substituting Star Power over story, "Oceans 12" is a big gang flick that aimlessly wanders through its 2 hours. The crew of Danny Ocean reassemble after Benedict (Andy Garcia) tracks them down and demands restitution for his stolen money. The crew (minus Carl Reiner) travel to Paris and get into an ego war with super-theif Vincent Cassale (who seems awfully petty for a super-theif), then spend the remainder of the movie out-witting him and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who falls for Brad Pitt. With the exception of Matt Damon, eveyone else plays minor roles.
Unlike "Ocean's Eleven," where everyone had a bit to chew on, the focus hits mostly the superstars. Bernie Mac is taken out early, and spends most of his time sitting mum in a jail cell. There is only one decent set piece in this plunder clod of a film, and that is Bruce Willis' cameo as he recognizes Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean faking being Julia Roberts. (And maybe the breakdance-in-the-laserbeam heist bit). But otherwise, "Ocean's 12" spends far too much time acting like one big inside joke; the really cool stars goofing in a movie because they can. Somebody should have reminded them that movie stars need plots to be interesting, and other people in home movies (beautiful people or not) are still boring people in home movies.
This is lazy `sequel' that tends to do nothing but bring back a bunch of celebrities - Review written on June 13, 2007
Rating: 3 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
"Ocean's Twelve" faces the same difficulties as any sequel. By this I don't mean those movies that are essential components to trilogies that continue the story; I mean those movies that basically take an established cast and throw them in a completely new storyline. The problem is trying to meet the expectations of an audience that loved the first and wants a new movie to love for all the same reasons. So many people were disappointed to learn that "Ocean's Twelve" was not yet another heist movie.
This film had to be a sequel. The plot takes advantage of the relationships the characters developed in the first film, and throws in many subtle jokes the average viewer may miss if they don't listen closely. Some of the phrases like "thief a la mode" used in the film may require a bit of culture to appreciate. While Ocean's teams do work together in the same fashion as the first film, the thievery itself doesn't take the spotlight in the film. "Ocean's Eleven" was the traditional heist film in its plot development with its climax at the point of executing the plan. Ocean's Twelve breaks away from this formula in favor of developing opportunities for some great character interaction.
The film disappoints with many characters taking a back seat in their roles to such an extent that the film could have been named after Pitt's character, with the Benedict aftermath merely serving as a catalyst for the characters finding their way back together. However, it would have been unreasonable for all eleven original characters to share an equal share of the spotlight and still turn out as well. The story is more about Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones than George Clooney and Julia Roberts. The rest of the cast perform very well and the guest-star appearances, including an unforgettable one by Bruce Willis, are hysterical. Half of the time I was unsure if the actors were even acting!! It appeared as if they were not even looking at the script, and instead talking amongst themselves like, "Hey, so how you've been?". "Oh, I `v been good, the kids at home are taking up a lot of my time, ya know". Come on now, really.
In the end, "Ocean's Twelve" is not a mere heist film but an Intelligent Comedy that may need to be watched more than once to appreciate some of the subtleties in the dialog. Just the amount of activity on this film's message board regarding some of the subtleties in the plot is a testament to the thought that went into making this film. Will "Ocean 13" rectify this, well I would have to go see it for myself.
Much Ado About Nothing! - Review written on June 03, 2007
Rating: 2 out of 5
9 customers found this review helpful, 3 did not.
Much ado about nothing!
The most exciting, the most interesting scene in this boring bomb of a sequel was when Ocean's French rival, Francois Toulour (Vincent Cassel) breakdanced through the security lasers, on his way to stealing that Faberge egg. Julia Roberts' character, Tess, impersonating Julia Roberts, fooling Bruce Willis (playing Bruce Willis) was also quite funny, and a relief from George Clooney and Brad Pitt hogging the camera, drinking wine.
Not as Smooth as Eleven but a Very Good Film in It's Own Right - Review written on June 03, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful, -2 did not.
Ocean's Eleven set a very high standard, one of its strengths was that all the characters got their moments to shine. In Twelve, unfortunately, most of the cast is absent for most of the film. Saying that, this film was great because these characters looked human and vulnerable. I mean they full off this spectacular heist in the first movie and in this movie they are trying to stay alive by making another amazing score, but, there is the ever present danger of Andy Garcia's character threatening to kill each of them.
This film had very large shoes to fill. It's the same with every sequel that follows an amazing first movie. Some folks have been very harsh with their comments of this movie. I say the same thing every time I view a movie. You have to keep an open mind and try not to compare the sequels with the first movie. On its own this movie has lots of charm, its filmed in Europe in three of the most exciting cities on the continent. Its kinda sad because they seem to bungle everything (have you seen anything so sad as those guys being arrested and hauled off to jail?) before it comes together. Yes it has a lot of star power, but no not everyone is enamored with the faces of "A" list celebrities. Sometimes we are enamored with their acting ability. Oh, yes. Soderburg gets 5 stars for direction.
At the risk of sounding redundant...disappointing - Review written on April 19, 2007
Rating: 2 out of 5
5 customers found this review helpful, 1 did not.
"Ocean's Eleven" was a caper of the grandest kind: compelling mission with high stakes, satisfying execution and enough twists to keep you engaged and rooting for them to win. It even had a love story to boot. It was everything you wanted in a big Hollywood movie, with class and style in spades. It also had a cliff-hanging ending that seemed to have a lot of promise. So needless to say, I had high hopes (with caution) for the sequel.
I was disappointed. (WARNING:Major spoilers ahead)
THE GOOD:
First, the movie wasn't a complete wash. The wit remained. There was loads of entertaining one-liners and cheeky banter. Brad Pitt's acting was wonderful, and I think his character seemed to be the only one that remembered what they were the first time around: cool crooks. Even Clooney lost some of his edge, with the whole "Do I look 50" banter. But I digress. OK, the good. Lots of beautiful people. Nice locations. Matt Damon delivered his role well. I dunno. Nice cinematography.
THE BAD:
Terrible pacing. Twenty minutes in I still had no clue what I was watching. To add insult to injury, Benedict was about as menacing as a grandmother yelling "Get me my switch." This is the super-duper bad guy? Someone who thinks poking someone with a cane is supposed to make him ditch his HONEYMOON?! And it got worse from there. So many false starts for no apparent reason. Sitting in the cafe with that guy who was totally incomprehensible did not add one shred of anything to the plot, characterization or enjoyment of the film. And I could rattle off about 5 other pointless or too long scenes that were more suited to skits on a (bad) episode of SNL that in a movie with a forward moving plot. I've read complaints that this movie was just a vanity project to get "the boys" back together, and scenes like this seem to confirm that. Also, how predictable was it that the master thief was CZJ's father. YAAAAWWWNNN! I saw that like an hour before they showed it, and, worse the reveal was cheesy and maudlin.
THE UGLY:
Everyone got arrested?!?!?!?! Huh? What happened to our intelligent, always-one-step-ahead-of-the cops, master crooks? Even if the arrests were staged, where's the fun in seeing everyone in jail? Also, in the first film, the twins bickered and were dim, but were ultimately buddies. I LOVED them. But in 12, their characterization totally changed, and their petty, infantile bickering turned into snarky hatred - considerably less charming. And the Julia Roberts thing was indefensible. It totally broke the suspension of belief and again, contributed nothing. The actors seemed to enjoy it, though. I'm happy for them. But, honestly I could have forgiven (almost) everything if the payoff of the heist would have been worth it. That is why it is with infinite sadness that I must report (I cannot emphasize this point enough) the heist SUCKED! To watch an entire movie with a disastrous, convoluted and banal heist plan (although that hologram thing was cool) only to find out that they had actually robbed some guy on a train (in a pickpocket job that Casey Affleck's character probably could have pulled by himself) days earlier made me want to sue for two hours of my life back.
I really hope the Ocean's 13 redeems this tragic film.
What's with all the bitterness? - Review written on April 03, 2007
Rating: 2 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful, 2 did not.
I'll admit that when I saw this film for the first time, I was a bit underwhelmed. But I simply don't understand all the bitterness, anger and vitriol being directed at it in these reviews. I have gone back and watched the film again and I have to say that it actually grows on you. I simply don't believe that it is the stinking pile of poo that most of the reviewers claim it is. "Ocean's 12" is patently inferior to "Ocean's 11", that is true. But what I think is really going on here is: people came with high expectations that could never be fulfilled; the tone of the film is darker and more desperate than the first; the subplots and the twists are confusing compared with the rather linear mission of the first film and the offscreen publicity surrounding the shoot lends people to believe that the stars were having too much fun at everyone else's expense. The anger is that of people who have been left out of an in-joke or a party they don't get to attend.
The Julia as Julia subplot was rather gutsy - but it takes you out of the picture. I give them points for trying something ballsy that ultimately didn't serve the interests of the film (even though it gave Matt Damon some of his funniest moments). It seems like a "Hail Mary" pass conjured up at the last minue to salvage a script with problems. Furthermore, it focuses you on Julia Roberts, the celebrity, and the effect of her real-life pregnancy on her appearance (and let's be frank - she's looked a lot better in other films).
The Night Fox subplot complicated things a lot - even though Vincent Cassel did a good job with his role. But, it felt overly contrived and reeked of the "Pink Panther" movies of the 60s. Certain characters were left out almost entirely - especially Bernie Mac. The end still doesn't add up. Was the plan improvised at the last minute or was the entire thing as intricately thought out as the Belagio heist? To work as well as it did, it would have to have been, but you're left thinking that it was screwed up. And if that's the case, what was the original plan? Even after a couple viewings it is still confusing. The plot of the entire last two thirds of the film is as contorted and convoluted as the gyrations of the Night Fox trying to elude the laser beams in the museum.
On the plus side, I still found it enjoyable for what it was. I don't come to a film like this and expect to see great art. It was entertaining, the performances were good for the most part and even if it didn't attain the level of the first film it doesn't deserve that rancor that has been directed at it. I still have hopes for "Ocean's 13" and from what I've read, the cast and director are looking to redeem themselves after this one. I just happen to disagree on the level of atonement that is required.
No New Tricks Here. - Review written on September 20, 2006
Rating: 3 out of 5
5 customers found this review helpful, 2 did not.
OCEAN'S ELEVEN was a great heist movie. It was far more entertaining than the original Brat Pack film and included a more upbeat ending. The movie worked on a lot of different levels and though the cast including a huge list of stars, each character had just enough screen time to make the audience care for everyone involved on Danny Ocean's team. The plot of the film was tight and the payoff for the audience was in learning how the heist was pulled off. OCEAN'S ELEVEN was only expected to be a moderate success, but ended up doing quite well. So well, in fact, that they quickly put together plans for a sequel.
Thus came OCEAN'S TWELVE. Beginning three years after OCEAN'S ELEVEN ended, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), the casino owner the gang ripped off in the OCEAN'S ELEVEN has uncovered the identities of everyone that was involved and wants his money back plus interest, close to $190 million. They've got two weeks to pay up or they're all good as dead men walking. Apparently there isn't a gig with a big enough pay off in the U.S. (or perhaps the filmmakers just wanted to spend some time in Europe) so the crew travels overseas: Amsterdam, Rome, and Paris. Meanwhile, the group is being hunted by an Europol agent, Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who is connected to Rusty's (Brad Pitt) past and they are also being out conned everywhere they go by a Frenchman known only as the "Night Fox."
All of the members of OCEAN'S ELEVEN are back in this movie (that was one of the film's tag lines--something like "They're back, all of them") but unfortunately most of them have much smaller roles to play. Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Bernie Mac, et al are basically regulated to roles as props and set pieces. Catherine Zeta-Jones is added as part of the cast (thus the "twelve" of the title) and is a nice addition, but she's the only new element added that adds any flavor to this facsimile of the first movie. Also, instead of trying to think of something original, the general plot of the movie falls into the land of the absurd so much than when the final revelations are revealed the whole film comes off as being a disappointment and a cop-out.
I was disappointed by OCEAN'S TWELVE. It could have been a great follow-up to an excellent heist picture. Instead Soderburgh, Clooney, and crew must have decided that they would rather have fun than focus on making a movie. Thus, what is left is a film full of stars and fluff, but one that has no substance or style. It has some small moments, but those are drowned out by the lack of intention and purpose. Stay tuned for OCEAN'S THIRTEEN to see if Soderburgh and Clooney end up redeeming themselves for the failure to pull-off the coup in OCEAN'S TWELVE.