Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Your Time Is Valuable - This Film Steals It

Steven Soderbergh has made some very good films, this isn't one of them. Lots of talent in the cast, with the exception of Brad Pitt of course, who continues to embarrass himself, and us, with his impersonation of an actor. Having so much recognizable talent on screen is very distracting from the story, which is unfortunate, since there is no story worthy of the name. The script, if one may use such a lofty term to describe it, is simply wretched - some scenes contain dialog that is truly cringe-worthy. The producers of this bloated catastrophe have attempted to cover its sheer vacuousness with lavish production value, lots of dressy location photography in swish European hot spots, and Hollywood "in jokes" like Julia Roberts doing a bad impression of Julia Roberts - which when you think about it - is all she ever does. This movie doesn't merely fail, it fails on every conceivable level - it is a thief of time. June 28, 2008

Hollyweird screws up another sequel.

As amazing as the first one was, this one falls short.
The acting is still great.
The script however.............dull, uninspired, unmemorable.
I've watched this one three times and each time I disliked it more than before.
It's just boring.
Sorry Ocean fanatics.
Hollyweird got sloppy with this one, expecting droves of people to come into the theater just because of the cast.
Wrong!!!
Great cast with a barely passable story.
Rent it if your curious, you might like it better than I did.
June 24, 2008

About emperors and clothes...

This is probably not the worst film I ever saw (that must have been some pretentious "artistic", "expressionistic" crap) but it is definitely among the stupidest.

The director shows not a grain of respect for the intelligence of a common viewer and just keeps parading actors on the screen talking nonsense, doing improbable and in the end achieving impossible.

If all this would have been infused with some self-deprecating wit and humor *maybe* it could have been viewable (just maybe). But being soaked with actors' love of themselves and disregard for the character they are supposed to embody, it is painful to look at. There is more good acting and dialog when these stars walk the red carpet on Oscar nights and talk to Joan Rivers than in this movie.

Yes my friends, the emperor has no clothes, and the sight is not pleasant... May 2, 2008

Not great, but not terrible, either

I know there are a lot of negative reviews out there of Ocean's Twelve. While I think it's the weakest movie of the trilogy, I don't think it's terrible. There are things about it that I don't like, but there are also things about it that I like, and these positive things make the movie watchable and enjoyable, at least for me.

First, the negative aspects of the film. There are three major problems that I see. First, the plot is unnecessarily complex. One of the many positive traits about Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Thirteen is that they're both straightforward heist movies, with plots that are easy to follow. The plot of Ocean's Twelve is too smart for its own good. The "twist" in the movie is kind of silly and not very believable. Second, in Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Thirteen, every member of the gang is given a significant role and screen time, both of which highlight their individual personalities and acting talents. In Ocean's Twelve, the characters of Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner) and Frank Catton (Bernie Mac) are given minor roles and are missing from large portions of the film. The movie does suffer from the absence of Reiner and Bernie Mac. Third, the acting by most of the members of the gang is not up to the high standards set in both the first and third films. It seemed like a lot of the guys just stood around a lot and phoned in their performances. Only the acting of Catherine Zeta-Jones had any kind of weight to it.

Now for the positive aspects of the movie. David Holmes composed the music for all three movies, and his soundtrack for this movie is just as good as the other two films. The European locations were beautifully shot. I loved the sequence near the end of the movie of the Night Fox twisting and contorting his way through the lasers in the museum. The movie does have its funny moments, especially the long sequence after the opening when Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) confronts each member of the gang. And, I got the sense that the members of Ocean's gang respected one another, as evidenced by the ending sequence, and enjoyed working together.

So, all in all, I wouldn't call this a great movie, but I wouldn't call it terrible, either. I'd call it just good enough. March 26, 2008

the one I watch the most

Am I the only one who, when compelled to reach for an Ocean's flick, goes for 12 more than the others?

I think it's because 12 is the least straight forward. Perhaps the base audience for Ocean's like their caper flicks straight forward. I don't know. For me, it sets itself up for repeat viewings, to try to figure it out knowing how it turns out. I would say the first 3/4s holds my attention better than any other part of the series (except that verbal restaurant duel between Tess and Danny in 11). I love the Isabelle character and that dynamic. On the downside, the big Julia Roberts payoff left me ho hum. It was a little too kitchy for my blood. I also can't fathom why Bernie Mac, with all his talent and charisma, would be so callously shuffled aside.

Flawed as it is, I still stand by it as the one I watch the most. February 17, 2008

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