Disclaimer:

The movie we’re reviewing is rated: PG-13

It contains more adult content than its predecessor including sexual themes and strong language.

While I personally don’t think that’s reason enough to warrant a “PG-13” rating, I’m still obligated to tell you.

Here we are: 41 years passed in just one week. Yeah, kinda crazy how Hollywood didn’t consider remaking this movie sooner. ‘Cause you know Hollywood, they love to remake things. It’s possible people disregarded the original’s potential to be a blockbuster until technology developed. That’s also the most notable thing about this movie: the superior technology. Although, that was probably the draw at the time.

In the first one, the plan was mostly developed around careful scheming and pyschological exploitation. They were limited on technology due to the time period. After the turn of the millennium though, technology became more of a spectacle, and that’s what this remake did. Now there’s a lot of high-tech gadgetry, deeper character development, and more viewer investment.

Personally, the first film is still my favorite on account of the questions it raises. Although, the remake is a fun watch as well. It’s a bit more mindless and quirky than the original, but that doesn’t mean it’s terrible. There are some things the remake does better and other things that aren’t as good as the first. However, the ultimate question is: “Do those things balance out?” Well, let’s dive in together. (Get it? Because “dive…” Ocean… anyway – )

Let’s spruce up this idea and bring Danny Ocean into the modern era with Ocean’s Eleven (2001).

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Before I go too far, let’s set one thing straight. I’ll likely be referencing the original 1960 film a lot in this review. Not that that’s a bad thing, but let’s be clear on the terminology. The numerical title (Ocean’s 11) is used to refer to the original 1960 film. On the other hand, the English title (Ocean’s Eleven) is used to refer to the 2001 remake. I hope that’s clear.

I’d like to start out by addressing the intro I had for last week’s review. In it, I said that Danny Ocean was a film character that made us question things. Like “Is crime occasionally okay?” Given Ocean’s 11, Danny’s character wasn’t well defined enough to make the audience understand him as a person. The focus was more “the consequences of our actions” and whatnot, and it works fine there, but that was it.

In fact, the biggest defining characteristic about Danny was the fact he was played by Frank Sinatra.

All we knew about him was that he loved danger, had an odd sense of humor, and had a wife. He had motivation, but didn’t have much of a personality. His wife, Bea (played by Angie Dickinson), also didn’t get much focus and was just kinda “there.” Probably for no other reason than for the producers to say “Hey, Angie Dickinson’s in this movie.”

In the remake however, Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney) is much more identifiable. Not only does he have motivation, but he has a clearly defined personality. This is mostly due to Clooney’s acting background, since acting wasn’t really Sinatra’s forte. That, and Danny’s relationship with his wife takes center stage here.

I already feel like I know Danny a lot better here, but let’s talk about my favorite thing. Yes this movie is a remake of Ocean’s 11, but it’s technically also a sequel. There are a lot of details in this movie that count as both callbacks and progression from the previous film. For example: this setup. Danny starts off the movie in prison. While Ocean’s 11 didn’t end with the group explicitly going to jail, you could infer that that’s what happened.

Danny mentioning his wife splitting up with him could also be a reference to Ocean’s 11. Even parts of the plan that they concoct in this movie are references to the original. As part of the job, they knocked out Las Vegas’ power, which was also done in Ocean’s 11.

That and it seems clear very early on that this movie has a goal. That goal: one-up everything that was done in Ocean’s 11. Watching it again after several years, I feel like they mostly accomplished that goal. To start off: pacing. In Ocean’s 11, it takes the team nearly an hour to start planning their heist. Here? It takes half that time.

The filmmakers are clearly thinking “Why don’t we make the heist the focus of this heist movie?” Again, I love Ocean’s 11‘s decision to have a deeper meaning, but here they just have fun with it. That, and each of the characters in this movie feel more like characters. Despite having 11 primaries again, I feel like I know these people better than the 82nd Airborne. Take, for example, their introductions.

The guys in this movie aren’t old military buddies, but professional thieves this time. Some members don’t know each other, but the one thing that unites them is their thirst for money. That, and each of them are introduced individually to allow them time to establish personalities. A few are even introduced prior to the “crew assembly” montage. What makes these guys more interesting is that we learn about them through their role in the plan.

Not only do we see them execute their parts, but the heist itself is cleverly edited. After the heist is planned, the film interweaves scenes of each team member planning and the heist itself. This also helps establish these characters while not skimping out on the good stuff.

One moment we’ll see Livingston, Danny, and Rusty discussing what should be done to overcome an obstacle. Next, we’ll see that obstacle being overcome in real-time. As a result, I find myself much more interested in what’s happening on-screen, but also caring about these characters. What helps with that? Having an antagonist.

In Ocean’s 11, the focus was on these guys proving to the world that they’re still in their prime. The five casinos they robbed were just that: casinos. There wasn’t any larger force they were fighting against besides “lost dignity.” In Ocean’s Eleven, the three casinos they want to rob are owned by the same person. Everyone’s favorite comb-over: Terry Benedict (played by Andy Garcia).

This is our “bad guy” for the movie. I put “bad guy” in quotes because the line between right and wrong in this movie is very blurry. Especially after we’re first introduced to Terry. When we first meet him, he doesn’t seem all that bad. All we know about him is that he stole Reuben’s casino, stole Danny’s wife, learned 4 (nearly 5) different languages, and his look can best be described as “every business jerk from American Psycho.”

While each of those things make him look like a rich jackass, it’s still hard to hate him. Mostly because we don’t know enough about these characters yet to get emotionally invested. To the film’s credit though, it gets easier to do that as it continues. We eventually learn that he’s a ruthless businessman who lives for revenge, wants complete control over the Las Vegas Strip, and is a pretty big hothead.

After this information is made aware to you, it makes the movie more fun to watch. Why? Because now, even though Danny and his team are committing a big crime, you want to see them do it. Even if just to spite this asshole.

The last major difference between Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s 11 is Danny’s wife. I mentioned her before in reference to Ocean’s 11, but in this movie, she has a much more expanded role. Her name is Tess (played by Julia Roberts), and she seems to be the most level-headed character in the movie. Just someone trying to live a normal life in a world of convicts, thieves, and scumbags.

While we don’t see too much of her, it’s clear that her love is a big motivator for Danny. As a result, we end up feeling for her vicariously through Danny even if she isn’t on-screen. She also throws a wrench in the plan when she catches Rusty making a deal with Terry over the phone.

Not only is this a major complication to create tension, it could also be another reference to Ocean’s 11. Similar to Jimmy’s mother giving them away before, Tess (Danny’s wife) is giving them away now. Since Danny has more development than before, you want to see him get back together with Tess. It’s not the most complex romance, but it’s at least engaging. That and after Tess discovers Terry’s true colors, she goes right back to Danny.

All the loose ends are tied up, money is stolen, relationships are set straight, and they live happily ever after. Sure that wasn’t how the first one ended, but that’s not the point. Besides that, what more could you want in a movie like this? Well, let’s bring it all in.

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When I said earlier that this movie one-ups everything from Ocean’s 11, I absolutely meant it. Every aspect from the first was brought back and nearly perfected. It keeps your interest, is a butt-ton of fun, and makes you want to watch it again and again. Don’t get me wrong, Ocean’s 11 is still my personal favorite because of its complex message that makes you think. Although, if you want a “Heist Movie,” Ocean’s Eleven is the dictionary definition.

It’s got action, it’s got stealth, it’s got tension, it’s got schemes, and it’s so cool. Surprisingly, it’s also got a lot of jazz. You’d think the 1960s movie would be more jazzy, but this movie is swimming in jazz.

However, is this a perfect movie? In my eyes, I’d say no. For what it’s trying to accomplish, I’d say it accomplishes it well. Although, there are some logical inconsistencies and the editing can be hard to follow occasionally. The biggest thing I noticed is that this movie doesn’t have a definitive reason to exist. Even with its boring moments, Ocean’s 11 had a clear reason to exist. I have a harder time finding a reason for Ocean’s Eleven to exist.

This isn’t always bad, but without a clear message, it’s hard not to call this a “Popcorn Movie.” Why isn’t this always a bad thing? Well, I made this comparison in the last review: Indiana Jones. Despite those films arguably being “Popcorn Movies,” they’re still revered as classic cinema. Just because you don’t have a message doesn’t mean you can’t redefine a genre. That’s exactly what Indiana Jones did, and, in a way, so did Danny Ocean.

Instead of action adventures, it’s elaborate heists.

While I can’t call this film perfect, I still had an amazing time with it. It not only popularized the Heist genre in film, but it’s arguably the best Heist movie in modern cinema. Pop it in and remember why we love Danny Ocean.

It’s been tricky, but I think I’ll give this movie a 4.5/5 Bellagios. For the longest time I thought I’d give it a 4. After mentioning Indiana Jones I decided on a 4.5. Why did I go there? The thing that was holding me back was the reason behind the movie. Not every movie has to have a point to be great. This movie is still awesome whether it has a deeper meaning or not. Perfect? Not at all. For everyone? Heck no. But if you like heists, I’m sure you’ll love this movie.

(I make no claim of ownership for any of the images used in this post)

(Each of them are owned entirely by their respective copyright holders, which are not me)

(I’m just a humble blogger who talks about movies, I do not make them)

(Yet)