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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stylish, smart and cool - just don't think about it too hard, January 22, 2003
"Ocean's Eleven" is a Ferrari of a movie: cool, stylish, and classy. And if, like a Ferrari, it doesn't always work, that's OK - who will complain when it's so stylish?The premise is lifted right out of the 1960 Rat Pack original: Danny Ocean (George Clooney, suave as hell) is released from prison, and plots to steal over $163 million from the vault of a Las Vegas casino during a heavyweight fight. He recruits his old buddy Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), and they put together a dream team of crooks, each of whom has a specialty. There's a computer geek, a demolition expert, a con man, a pickpocket, and so on. And, of course, there's Danny's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), who's now involved with the manager (Andy Garcia) of the casino Danny intends to rob. So, Danny's not only after money - he wants his girl back as well. But she's having nothing of it, as evidenced by this neat dialogue piece: Danny: "I've paid my debt to society." Tess: "Funny, I haven't gotten my check yet." Dialogue like that is one of the great pleasures of this movie; watching it delivered by the likes of Clooney, Roberts, Pitt and the stellar supporting cast (Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, et al) is the other. And, in fairness, it's a good thing that the dialogue and acting is so good, because as a pure caper flick, "Ocean's Eleven" is, to be charitable, a little thin. In the best caper movies ("The Heist" comes to mind), the theft itself is the star of the movie - the intracicies, the backup plans, the intrigue. In "Ocean's Eleven," we're expected to believe that a casino with over $150 million in its vault wouldn't have a backup power generator, or that the vault's security system wouldn't have a motion sensor. But criticisms like that are akin to nitpicking that red Ferrari 575 because it has a small trunk - the point isn't realism, it's style, and like a Ferrari, "Ocean's Eleven" has it in droves.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Ocean's Eleven" is cool, hip, and hilarious!, December 13, 2001
I saw "Ocean's Eleven" the day that it came to the theater, and I though that it was a really great film from the director of "Erin Brockovich", "Out of Sight", and "Traffic". This movie had just about everything...action, great storyline, and laughs. George Clooney was terrific as Danny Ocean, a recently released ex-con who decides that it's time to go back into the thieving business by stealing over $1 million from a luxurious Las Vegas casino. He and Rusty Ryan (played with excellence by Brad Pitt) plan it all out, etc. But how are they going to pull it all off? Get 9 other guys, of course! Among the 9 are Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, and Bernie Mac. Outstanding job from all of them. Andy Garcia, who plays the ruthless casino owner, Terry Benedict, was superb because I haven't seen Garcia act in a while, and this is kind of a comeback for him. And last, but not least, Julia Roberts. What do I think about Julia? Well...Julia was absolutely great as Tess, Clooney's ex-wife! In conclusion, "Ocean's Eleven" is slick, fast, and funny! This is George Clooney's best film since "Out of Sight". Brad Pitt's best film since "Meet Joe Black". Matt Damon's best film since "Good Will Hunting". Julia Roberts' best film since "Erin Brockovich" and "The Mexican". And Andy Garcia's best film since "Desperate Measures". "Ocean's Eleven" is, truly, one of the best action-comedies ever made in the year 2001. It is so hilarious, so hip, that you'll want to see it again and again!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An all-around great film, July 10, 2002
With enough star power to light Las Vegas (as long as no one's around with a pinch), Ocean's Eleven comes packed with all the action, suspense, comedy, and George Clooney a girl could want (guys, substitute 'Julia Roberts' for 'George Clooney'). George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, and Elliot Gould, among others, make the picture sparkle with superb acting, while excellent directing from Steven Soderbergh keeps the picture down-to-earth, funny, and interesting without losing the element of suspense.
The plot, based on the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same title, is equally good; the characters especially are well written and casted. The Ocean's Eleven, as well as other main characters are unique and realistic, and very well interpreted by the cast. Even the costumes used help to make the film unforgettable.
Definitely a firm recommendation for anyone who likes a good movie--this one's got it all, supense, humor, and action. Just be careful while laughing on the edge of your seat; it tends to be dangerous.
Intriguing movie quote: "Ted Nugent called. He wants his shirt back."
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