After Reuben (Elliot Gould) is double crossed by a ruthless businessman named Willy Bank (Al Pacino), Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the rest of his crew plan to extract revenge by ensuring that a new casino, spearheaded by Willy Bank, is a failure on the night of its grand opening. Retaining its elegant style and sharp humour, this was a fine conclusion to the Ocean’s trilogy. It’s worth noting that Ocean’s Thirteen is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russell
Starring: George Clooney, Al Pacino, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Eddie Jemison, Don Cheadle, Shaobo Qin, Eddie Izzard, Ellen Barkin

Released off the back of two previous flick’s, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Ocean’s Thirteen is the final instalment of the Ocean’s trilogy, all directed by Steven Soderbergh. Ocean’s Thirteen seemed to return to the roots of the trilogy, having a similar overall feel to that of Ocean’s Eleven (2001), with the filmmakers utilising the Las Vegas setting and showcasing the rampant gambling culture that it brings to the table.

One aspect of Ocean’s Thirteen that stood out to me was the fact that the humour, which in my opinion was a little too prevalent in Ocean’s Twelve (2004), seemed to come across as more effective and subtle in this one, with the seriousness of the mission and overall premise taking center stage. The filmmakers also injected a sufficient number of twists and turns to keep things interesting, while the pacing seemed just about fitting for a picture boasting a one-hundred and twenty-two minute runtime.

Ocean’s Thirteen, or more specifically the entire trilogy, really manages to showcase just how impressive on-screen chemistry can be. As a viewer, it feels like you’re on a journey with many of the key characters on display, forming emotional attachments along the way. Interestingly, Ocean’s Thirteen didn’t have to rely on any form of romantic angle, which meant the relationships between the crew themselves were more heavily focused on.

As with the prior instalments, the original list of cast members were present, reprising their roles for Ocean’s Thirteen, with George Clooney and Brad Pitt starring as Danny Ocean and Rusty, while Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Eddie Jemison, Don Cheadle and Shaobo Qin made up the rest of the gang that were responsible for another mission. Noteworthy additions to the flick were Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin, who adopted key roles as Willy Bank and Abigail Sponder, respectively. Eddie Izzard also featured far more heavily than his casting in Ocean’s Twelve (2004).

All in all, Ocean’s Thirteen felt like the real sequel to Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and served as an extremely well-crafted finale to one of the greatest film trilogies of recent times. It’s worth noting that there was a separate spin-off titled Ocean’s Eight, which is a picture that may be reviewed in the near future. As previously noted, Ocean’s Thirteen is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, as are Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and Ocean’s Twelve (2004).

“Alright, well… I’ll see you when I see you.“

Danny Ocean – Ocean’s Thirteen