Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Written by Brian Koppelman & David Levien Directed by Steven Soderbergh In the second sequel to Ocean's 11, Danny Ocean are back in business, and this time it's personal. Casino magnate Willie Bank (Al Pacino) went into business 50/50 with Reuben (Elliot Gould), only to screw Reuben over at the 11th hour, leaving him literally shocked with a heart attack to boot. Once Danny Ocean and his crew hear about this, they decide to hit Bank where it'll hurt him the most, his precious new casino. If you're this far into the series, you had better be familiar with all the characters, so there is no need for me to give you the rundown here. The plot, much like the second one, is the most fun part of the movie to watch, to see how it unfolds, to see how each small grift is all a small part in a larger scheme of a thievery, and here, fittingly so, is the grift of all grifts, the grandaddy robbery of them all, how to steal from a casino, right out in plain sight. As in the second film, to reveal much about the plot would take away half the fun, which is trying to keep up with the characters as they concoct the scheme that will bring Bank's casino to its knees. The plot involves a super computer that runs the security on the casino, and Bank has himself guarded against cheaters and con men, through the super computer and his right hand woman, Miss Sponder (Ellin Barkin). So the plan begins, as the crew figures out how to outsmart the super computer, get Bank out of the way, all while they pull off the ultimate heist. This film is as stylish as the others, with the same elements of coy in-jokes, an overly complicated heist scheme, and a ridiculously gigantic set that becomes an integral part of the plot. There is some good comedy set into the plot, such as Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) showing up to actually help Danny Ocean and his crew, and some creative ways to cheat at gambling. However, as in the previous films, the main point of the movie is to set the viewer up with a certain viewpoint, believing they know exactly what is going to happen, only to have their eyes truly opened in the final scenes of the movie. There are also clever cameos by The Night Fox (Vincent Cassel) and even Oprah Winfrey, adding to the winking nature of the film, without being overly corny like some of the scenes in Ocean's Twelve. Like the others before it, the film is ultimately entertaining, stylish, and it sets out to accomplish those very specific goals. I also like that there is a certain finality in not only the plot and the heist itself, but the characters come to a certain point of resolution. Not to say this is definitely the last Oceans movie, I could definitely see another one coming along, especially with the popularity and money making possibilities, but at the same time, if this is where they stop, it's definitely a good place. 7.9/10