The run was good for George Clooney, Brad Pitt and the rest of the gang over a six-year span as Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen held all of the cards under the direction of Steven Soderbergh. With the franchise running its full course over a decade ago, the creative con seemed to have been forgotten about. Not so fast, as we’ve seen time and time again in the film industry these days. The Ocean family tree looks to plant new roots with a different perspective as Ocean’s 8 attempt to steal the spotlight.
Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has devised the perfect plan to get rich, exact revenge and pay her respects to her late brother. After being released from incarceration of a crime that she was left holding the bag for, Debbie sets out to make things right. Her first stop is getting her right-hand woman, Lou (Cate Blanchett) by her side so that this masterplan can take form. They put together a team of equally talented, yet unique ladies to the job done. And what is the job you might ask? Robbing the New York City’s yearly Met Gala blind. In order for this to happen, Debbie and her team must stay one step ahead of everyone else if they are going to pull off the heist of the century. Ocean’s 8 goes all-in while trying to make this theft a real work of art.
Sandra Bullock leads a cast of talented ladies such as Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Anne Hathaway and Dakota Fanning. While this ensemble cast may not have the same star power as the previous movies, this group seems to be up for the task at hand. Ocean’s 8 ties in quite nicely with the rest of the franchise but doesn’t use the relationship as a crutch. The further the story goes, the more enjoyable it seems to become. It’s funny, has a good story and the chemistry has just the right mix of beauty, brains and balls.
It’s been said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. This well-polished jewel shines as Ocean’s 8 brings a familiar quality to equality. Sandra Bullock and friends are a delight to watch in this briskly paced spin-off. Despite a few flaws here and there, the crime caper is pretty enjoyable for the most part. Gary Ross preserves most of what made the George Clooney trilogy fun while giving the story a feel of its own. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks the Warner Bros. team settled on the number eight for a reason. It gives them room for a trilogy (Eight, Nine, Ten) without stepping on the toes of previous titles. Anyway, it would be criminal not to join the fun in theaters now.
