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Ocean's
Twelve
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Directed by: STEVEN SODERBERGH
Produced by: JERRY
WEINTRAUB
Starring: GEORGE CLOONEY, BRAD PITT, MATT DAMON, DON CHEADLE,
BERNIE MAC, ANDY GARCIA, JULIA ROBERTS, CATHERINE
ZETA JONES, ELLIOT GOULD, CARL REINER
Released by: Warner Bros
In
Short: With exotic locations and elaborate
heists, “Ocean’s
Twelve” may be bigger, but not necessarily
better. |
|
Dirty
Dozen
Star-filled
Cast Crosses Oceans
By
Cherie Saunders
Danny
Ocean (George Clooney) and his band of thieves regroup
for a series of international heists to repay the $160
million they stole from the Las Vegas vault of merciless
entrepreneur Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Clooney and
Garcia join fellow returning “Ocean’s Eleven”
cast members Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie
Mac, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner and Julia Roberts. Catherine
Zeta-Jones joins the cast as Isabel Lahiri, the love
interest of Pitt’s character Rusty — and
also the Europol agent trying to take down his whole
crew.
While director Steven Soderbergh keeps the attitude
of the thieves as easy-going and light-hearted as their
manner in “Eleven,” their coolness and sense
of humor in “Twelve” seems a bit too forced
and manipulative this time around to be truly convincing.
Visually and thematically, “Twelve” is far
superior, with Danny and his crew attempting heists
in Rome, Paris, Lake Como, Monte Carlo, Amsterdam and
Castellamare del Golfo in Sicily.
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Although the exotic locations add great dimension and
the heists are more elaborate, the natural lack of pretentiousness
in “Eleven” is lost here with too many exaggerated
jokes. The gang’s big score, however, is plagued
by repeated roadblocks that at least keep things interesting
– the biggest being Danny’s pregnant wife,
Tess (Julia Roberts). This telegraphed storyline that
incorporated the actress’ real-life pregnancy
during filming ends up giving “Ocean’s Twelve”
its biggest laughs.
Also starring Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner and Vincent
Cassel as the gang’s chief European rival, “Ocean’s
Twelve” may be bigger, but not necessarily better. |
