Ocean's Eleven (2001) **1/2

 

If you've ever wondered if it's possible in Hollywood to throw around enough money to guarantee a movie will be a hit, then “Ocean's Eleven” is your answer. This is a soulless remake of an equally-soulless, 1960 Rat-Pack heist film of the same name. 1960's “Ocean's Eleven” starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, and other Rat Packers, a group of actors more famous than talented. The remake features a genuinely talented cast, making it inexplicable how the film ends up being such a nothing-burger.

Danny Ocean (George Clooney) gets out of prison and immediately contacts his old partner, Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) with a bold idea for a heist. Bold is an understatement; Danny wants to rob a casino vault that holds the cash for the three biggest casinos in Las Vegas. The three casinos, we learn, are owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who happens to be dating Danny's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), so it becomes obvious that Danny has more than financial incentives for the robbery. As high-risk as the heist is, it's also high-reward, and Danny is able to put together a crack team of thieves.

Besides Clooney, Pitt, and Roberts, the ensemble cast includes names like Elliott Gould, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, and Don Cheadle. So, what does Steven Soderbergh do with all that star power? Not a whole lot, really. For a 2 hour movie, there isn't a lot there. Part of the problem is that putting together eleven guys for a heist means that we have to see Danny and Rusty recruit all those guys, which sucks up a big chunk of the movie. Nothing wrong with that, but with so many team members, we aren't able to get invested in any of them. Tess is a complete cipher as well. No time is spent developing her character so that we understand why she was ever attracted to Danny (other than that he looks like George Clooney), let alone why she is now with a greasy casino owner like Terry.

I blame the writers. The cast do a fine job with what they are given, there just isn't much of a story, even much of a heist. Danny touts the idea that they are ripping off the three biggest casinos in Vegas, but the cash is all in one vault, so it's really just one robbery. Honestly, I felt entertained while watching the movie, and it wasn't until afterwards that I started thinking about the problems with the movie, and started feeling like it wasn't just a casino that got ripped off by “Ocean's Eleven.”

2.5 stars out of 5