Ocean's 13

I'm pleased to say that Ocean's 13 is definitely an improvement over the far too lazy Ocean's 12. The plot is more coherent this time around, the heist has lots of different parts that need to connect at just the right moments, and the actors all have a role to play (unlike Ocean's 12 where half the cast seemed to be along just for a trip to Europe).

But, the film still suffers from a case of sequelitis, a not so rare disease in which subsequent films, in an attempt to capture the magic of the first film, essentially gives us the first film all over again with a few changes here and there (see Home Alone 2 and Ghostbusters 2 for other examples of sequelitis).

There's no reason for this movie to exist, and while I was entertained by it, I was also annoyed by its lack of novelty. The characters are the same at the end of the movie as they are at the beginning (only they have a far greater appreciation of Oprah).

Since the formula hasn't changed all that much, the audience waits for the plan's different elements to click into place, is given a few scenes where the plan looks like it's in danger of failing, and then watches as Danny Ocean's crew cleverly sidesteps each small hurtle. At no point is there any doubt that the plan won't work, and as the movie winds down, I found myself checking off the inevitable twists and turns. There are no surprises.

The movie also rushes by at a breakneck pace, speeding through plot points at such a ferocious speed that many important elements are glossed over. I'm still trying to figure out what the deal was with the slot machines...I know it's in the movie, but everything was coming at me so fast that I missed it.

What there is, is a talented cast having fun, and the movie does provide some humourous scenes. I liked how their infiltration of a Mexican dice factory (in order to fix the craps dice) leads to a worker's strike. Matt Damon's seduction of Ellen Barkin provides some great moments, and Pitt and Clooney certainly have a natural chemistry together.

It's an entertaining flick, but even the laughs are somewhat hollow since the jokes are basically recycled from the first two movies.

I guess I'm moderately recommending the movie. It's certainly fun, but fleeting. I can only hope this is the last in the series - these folks are far too talented to regurgitate another caper flick.

Star Rating - **1/2 out of 4