‘Ocean’s 13’

What makes these films so enjoyable is a talented cast, good scripts and a certain amount of nail-biting action.

By: Bob Brown

George Clooney (left) and Brad Pitt plot another heist in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 13.

   There’s something to be said for familiar formulas. They’re like a pair of reliable, worn-in shoes. They may not be edgy, but they’re darned comfortable and they do the job nicely. This is the third in the new Ocean’s series, which began with Ocean’s 11 (2001). Like its predecessors, this one is a lighthearted romp, a perfect summer entertainment that doesn’t demand much, either of its actors or of its audiences (unless you have trouble keeping straight all 13 of Ocean’s disciples).
   And once again, the director is Steven Soderbergh. This is the Soderbergh who has settled in with the Hollywood establishment, not the enfant terrible of lower-budget experimental projects, like the all-amateur cast Bubble (2005). What Soderbergh and his writers have recognized is that Las Vegas is a state of mind. Despite its enduring mythology, the city’s image is largely a creation of its age. The Vegas of the swaggering Rat Pack is no more than a memory. Back when the original Ocean’s 11 debuted in 1960, it was Frank’s world; we just lived in it. Today, Sinatra is a talisman. If you’re old enough to say you had shook Frank’s hand, it’s something to brag about, but also to overcome.
   The new crew is back in town, the by-now familiar bunch of Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his friends, on a mission to save their beloved, soft-hearted entrepreneur, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). The man suffered a near-fatal heart attack after a nasty betrayal. How a cream-puff like Tishkoff survives in a shark-tank like Vegas is one of the enduring mysteries and points of humor. This time, Tishkoff’s naivete has gotten him into trouble when he’s edged out of a partnership with the notorious Willie Bank (Al Pacino). "What, are you gonna throw me off the roof?" Tishkoff gasps on the top floor of their hotel-under-construction. "Well, I don’t want to," Bank shrugs, as his two goons muscle Tishkoff toward the edge. Tishkoff has no choice but to sign away his share. But it’s too much for his delicate health.
   Seeing his friend at death’s door, Ocean confronts the hard-nosed Bank at the construction site. When Bank brushes Ocean off, it’s a signal for the games to begin. Summoned from all over, the gang pools its talents to dream up an elaborate scheme that will shatter Bank through his weaknesses: his greed and his ego. The plan is to ruin the hotel’s opening day by having gamblers clean out the house, then driving them away with a simulated earthquake and stealing the emblems of Bank’s pride, the Five Diamonds Awards he has won for his other hotels. And oh, yes, they’re going to spoil the Five Diamonds inspector’s stay at the hotel (whose ridiculous architecture resembles entwined film strips spiraling into the sky — or is it coiled snakes?).
   What makes these films so enjoyable is a combination of a talented cast and good scripts (in this case by Brian Koppelman and David Levien), leavened with a certain amount of nail-biting action. But for all the mayhem, there isn’t any blood to spoil the impeccable tailoring. Even in Vegas casual, the gang always looks trim; they are most relaxed in tuxes. And sexual urges (a staple of Vegas films) are strongly suggested rather than consummated. In a way, this is a family-friendly film.
   No one is really doing any heavy lifting in this series, but there’s a cast camaraderie that shines through. Faced with one insurmountable obstacle after the other, Ocean’s guys, and a few hired hands, complain and whine, but they somehow get the job done anyway. It’s like the Navy Seals say: "The very difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer." What counts most is attitude. Insouciance has a lot to do with it.
   Most screen time is given to Clooney as Ocean, along with Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan, and Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell alias Lenny Pepperidge. As Pepperidge, Damon earns the most laughs, with his slicked-back hair and beak-like prosthetic nose. Don Cheadle as Basher Tarr alias Fender Roads, motorcycle daredevil, is a close second. Pacino devoted only three weeks to his filming, but he stands out as the kind of ruthless heavy he has perfected ever since The Godfather. The cast is loaded with talent like Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner and Andy Garcia (who plays a rival heavy who’s a foil to Bank), just to name a few. Even Eddie Izzard is back as Roman Nagel.
   David Holmes, who provided award-winning scores for the previous two Ocean’s, does the honors again. Who else could give it the same combination of Vegas tackiness and dash? Sprinkled in among the cast are some real life Vegas personalities.
   It helps if you’ve seen one or both of the other two Ocean’s in the series. But even if you haven’t this will be an enjoyable time at the movies. It’s Vegas with a new ring-a-ding-ding.
Rated PG-13 for brief sensuality.