Critique the Critic: Ocean’s 13
Owen Gleiberman, a critic from Entertainment Weekly expresses his own opinion on how Ocean’s 13 is a brilliantly schemed “delectably elaborate and savory soufflé of a mother-of-all-scams sequel.” His review of the movie not only goes in depth enough to explain why he gave it an A- but also to give reason to those who have not seen it a reason to.
With a third installment of the series, Gleiberman reveals his knowledge of not only this sequel but of ones of the past as well and how they’re each unique in their own way. He describes how the movie continues the Ocean’s trilogy saying:
The sheer complexity of the engineering is a delight, and also an ornate riff on what 'the workplace'' has become. Ocean's Eleven winked at the armor of male camaraderie, with the heist used as a deadpan illustration of how men, out of the fear that they might end up looking a little too, you know, friendly, now bond exclusively through mutual tasks. Ocean's Twelve just winked at itself, but Ocean's Thirteen returns to the first film's frictionless comedy of attitude. The movie is a witty celebration of process, using Danny's casino scam to make a comment on the world he's out to defeat — the world of technology, of systems, that now rules us all.
His review of a good rating is that alike my own, concurring with his ideas and thoughts as to why Ocean’s 13 is as good as it is. The casting of characters although may seem quite random, but when looked altogether are the perfect type of loonies that would be able to pull such a thing as scamming the casino boss and even further so, defeat an AI system smarter than themselves. Gleiberman expresses his opinions on not only the grand scams but the plentiful cons throughout the movie as well stating:
There's a scam in every corner. How do you fake a lie-detector test to get the shrimpy electronics ace Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison) certified as a shuffle-machine technician? How do you sneak weighted dice into a casino that's guarded like Dick Cheney's bunker? And what about that bogus earthquake? Nothing to it: Have Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle) operate a tunnel drill that will rock the casino to its foundations, even if buying that drill requires $36 million.
With Gleiberman’s previous statement, it shows just how intricately designed this movie was. Faking a lie-detector test, bringing weighted dice into a casino, bringing a casino security system to a halt, are all examples of just how easy ‘impossible’ things are to beat as long as you’re crazy and motivated enough to do it as demonstrated by the cast. Each character pulling off their respective duties and skillful cunningness gives the movie a dash of fun and comedy for the audience to absorb and sink in. Overcoming obstacles that they run into and eventually even requiring the aid of an old nemesis show how devoted these bunch of misfits are in order to exploit the casino boss (Al Pacino) into losing not only millions upon millions of dollars but also preventing him from getting a 5-diamond rating.
Gleiberman puts examples of no matter how difficult the con, the more the boys are willing to not only attempt but to succeed in defeating it by saying:
That the movie is beyond sly — it's a blizzard of blissed-out chicanery. There are enough interlocking ruses to fill a dozen heist thrillers, and a few leftover James Bond films besides. Here, however, as in Ocean's Eleven (though not in the overly-pleased-with-itself Ocean's Twelve), the polarities of complication and ease of execution are neatly reversed: The more impossible the trick, the more that Danny and his boys bring it off with a casual, no-sweat, who cares? insouciance. It's grace under pressure turned into unfettered masculine style.
Owen Gleiberman, a critic from Entertainment Weekly expresses his own opinion on how Ocean’s 13 is a brilliantly schemed “delectably elaborate and savory soufflé of a mother-of-all-scams sequel.” His review of the movie not only goes in depth enough to explain why he gave it an A- but also to give reason to those who have not seen it a reason to.
With a third installment of the series, Gleiberman reveals his knowledge of not only this sequel but of ones of the past as well and how they’re each unique in their own way. He describes how the movie continues the Ocean’s trilogy saying:
The sheer complexity of the engineering is a delight, and also an ornate riff on what 'the workplace'' has become. Ocean's Eleven winked at the armor of male camaraderie, with the heist used as a deadpan illustration of how men, out of the fear that they might end up looking a little too, you know, friendly, now bond exclusively through mutual tasks. Ocean's Twelve just winked at itself, but Ocean's Thirteen returns to the first film's frictionless comedy of attitude. The movie is a witty celebration of process, using Danny's casino scam to make a comment on the world he's out to defeat — the world of technology, of systems, that now rules us all.
His review of a good rating is that alike my own, concurring with his ideas and thoughts as to why Ocean’s 13 is as good as it is. The casting of characters although may seem quite random, but when looked altogether are the perfect type of loonies that would be able to pull such a thing as scamming the casino boss and even further so, defeat an AI system smarter than themselves. Gleiberman expresses his opinions on not only the grand scams but the plentiful cons throughout the movie as well stating:
There's a scam in every corner. How do you fake a lie-detector test to get the shrimpy electronics ace Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison) certified as a shuffle-machine technician? How do you sneak weighted dice into a casino that's guarded like Dick Cheney's bunker? And what about that bogus earthquake? Nothing to it: Have Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle) operate a tunnel drill that will rock the casino to its foundations, even if buying that drill requires $36 million.
With Gleiberman’s previous statement, it shows just how intricately designed this movie was. Faking a lie-detector test, bringing weighted dice into a casino, bringing a casino security system to a halt, are all examples of just how easy ‘impossible’ things are to beat as long as you’re crazy and motivated enough to do it as demonstrated by the cast. Each character pulling off their respective duties and skillful cunningness gives the movie a dash of fun and comedy for the audience to absorb and sink in. Overcoming obstacles that they run into and eventually even requiring the aid of an old nemesis show how devoted these bunch of misfits are in order to exploit the casino boss (Al Pacino) into losing not only millions upon millions of dollars but also preventing him from getting a 5-diamond rating.
Gleiberman puts examples of no matter how difficult the con, the more the boys are willing to not only attempt but to succeed in defeating it by saying:
That the movie is beyond sly — it's a blizzard of blissed-out chicanery. There are enough interlocking ruses to fill a dozen heist thrillers, and a few leftover James Bond films besides. Here, however, as in Ocean's Eleven (though not in the overly-pleased-with-itself Ocean's Twelve), the polarities of complication and ease of execution are neatly reversed: The more impossible the trick, the more that Danny and his boys bring it off with a casual, no-sweat, who cares? insouciance. It's grace under pressure turned into unfettered masculine style.
7 comments:
Great review.
I would like to see Oceans 13 as well. Your critique has made me really want to see the movie. You give alot of information about why i should see this movie. I think it is cool in the last two how they try to break the casino.I thought the first one was good, but the second one was kind of redundent.
Seeing this movie is on my to-do lists. I liked the first movie a lot and the second was still amusing. From what you said this movie is a good one and if its like the first, I will be throughly amused like I was from the first one.
Haha now I want to watch the movie... Watched 11 and 12 but not 13... I liked the other two, I'll probably like this one as well. Thanks for the review.
Good review, i would have to agree with you in that Oceans 12 slumped but Oceans 13 brought back the excitement and complexity of a heist. Good job.
this is interesting because i really enjoyed Ocean's 11, but not so much Ocean's 12. Ocean's 12 seemed dragged on and lacked new ideas. This critic seems to agree with me that the first was better than the second. Your critique on the critic and the critic's critique on the film this makes me interested in seeing Ocean's 13.
Tien: Very nicely written and insightful. Only big area for improvement: the exerpts from Gleiberman are good, but they're almost too long. The reader loses track of your voice and ideas occasionally, which is a shame.
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