Review - Ocean's Eleven (2001)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Back in the 1960's, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Rat Pack teamed up and made a movie called Ocean's 11, which told the story of a military veteran named Danny Ocean, who teams up with his fellow squad members to rob a number of casinos in Las Vegas. It was definitely a product of the time, and is actually a really fun movie. Seeing Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Rat Pack on screen together is just genuinely fun. 

      In 2001, producer Jerry Weintraub and director Steven Soderbergh would bring together a fantastic cast to tell a more modern version of the Rat Pack classic, and that's the movie we're talking about today. This is my review of the 2001 Steven Soderbergh film Ocean's Eleven starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, along with the likes of Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and Shaobo Qin. 

      The movie focuses on Danny Ocean, who in this version is a con man who is released on parole from a New Jersey prison, after he was locked up for stealing and attempting to fence priceless head masks. Upon release, Danny finds his way to a casino in Atlantic City, where he reunites with his former associate Frank Catton, who is working under an alias as he can't get past the gaming board under his real name. After catching up with Frank, Danny calls his parole officer, reassuring him that he won't be leaving the state, only to make his way to Los Angeles, California. It's where Danny reunites with his friend and associate Rusty Ryan, who is currently working a gig teaching popular TV stars how to play poker. And, the line-up of celebrities Rusty is teaching poker to includes the likes of Topher Grace, Joshua Jackson, Holly Marie Combs, Barry Watson, and Shane West. Now, I find it interesting how each of them were either starring on TV shows that aired on WB at the time, or shows that were produced by Warner Bros. Television. The one exception was Shane West, who starred in A Walk to Remember, which was also produced by Warner Bros. 

     Anyway, after the poker game, Danny and Rusty head off to discuss a possible heist: robbing three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously: the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand. How? Well, money from the cages of the Mirage and the MGM Grand all wind up in the vault at the Bellagio. Why these three? Well, all three casinos are owned by Terry Benedict, who is currently in a relationship with Danny's former wife Tess. Now, before they assemble a crew, Danny and Rusty go to an old friend who they believe can bankroll the heist: a former casino owner named Reuben Tishkoff, who breaks down three past casino robbery attempts in Las Vegas, and all of them were by amateurs that snatched and ran, but got caught. However, he eventually goes along with Danny and Rusty's plan, as Terry Benedict muscled Ruben out of the casino business, and is going to blow it up to make room for a new one. 

      As for the rest of the crew? Well, Frank Catton is definitely in, requesting a transfer due to bronchitis. Brothers Virgil and Turk Malloy are hired as drivers, Livingston Dell is brought on as a tech guy, Basher Tarr is brought in as demolitions expert, and Saul Bloom is brought in as well. The two newcomers into this world brought on for the heist are acrobat The Amazing Yen and pickpocket Linus Caldwell, whose father is legendary con artist Bobby Caldwell. Ultimately, Danny and Rusty reveal the plan: attempt to breach the Bellagio vault on the night of an upcoming boxing fight, which will be held at the MGM Grand, and rip off $150 million in cash. 

      Before the heist, however, recon is needed, and a combination of Linus, Virgil, and Turk, with Frank acting as an inside man taking up a position as a blackjack dealer, and Saul acting as a businessman looking to secure some valuables in the Bellagio vault. Unfortunately, Danny can't help but face Tess directly, thus introducing himself to Terry, which causes Danny to be red flagged, thus compromised in regards to the heist. Another problem presents itself when Terry destroys Ruben's old casino, and a fault in the power grid is identified, and Terry's crew fixes it, this rendering Basher's plan useless. However, Basher suggests collecting an EMP device called a "pinch," which is powerful enough to temporarily knock out power across Vegas. 

       So, the night of the heist arrives. Danny is nabbed by Terry's men, Saul's briefcase, along with a box carrying Yen, are taken to the vault, and Linus, along with Danny, drop down the elevator shaft once the power is off, and breach the vault. Rusty calls Terry, and has Terry's men load bags into a van. However, the bags in the van, which is being remote controlled by Virgil and Reuben, are a decoy to draw away Terry's men. Rusty, along with Turk, Basher, Livingston, Saul, and Frank disguise themselves as SWAT officers and help Danny, Linus, and Yen load $160 million into duffel bags and carry the cash out, with Danny returning to where Terry was holding him. Danny makes a deal with Terry: the location of the money in exchange for Terry giving up Tess. Danny gives false info, and Terry tells his men to escort Danny outside and call the police, as Danny is in violation of his parole. 

       Tess, who watched the conversation on television, breaks up with Terry, and runs out after Danny, who is being taken back to prison in New Jersey for about three to six months. The rest of the boys, meanwhile, enjoy the success of the heist by watching the Bellagio fountains, and going their separate ways. Three to six months later, Danny is out again, and Rusty picks him up, with Tess in the back of his car. Danny and Tess reconcile, with the two of them and Rusty driving off to parts unknown. But, Terry's two thugs are watching and pursue the trio. 

       Ocean's Eleven is very well known for its witty and clever dialogue, as well as its brilliant writing. Screenwriter Ted Griffin thoroughly wrote an enjoyable movie that puts a lot on its main cast. And, of course, said cast.has phenomenal chemistry. George Clooney and Brad Pitt as Danny and Rusty just gel so well together, and the rest of the guys just fit their roles perfectly. Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner as Reuben and Saul were fantastic, Bernie Mac and Don Cheadle as Frank and Basher were excellent, Casey Affleck and Scott Caan as Virgil and Turk were hilarious, and the trio of Matt Damon, Eddie Jemison, and Shaobo Qin as Linus, Livingston, and Yen were also fantastic. Both Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts as Terry and Tess were excellent, and as someone who does like many Julia Roberts movies, I thoroughly enjoyed her here. 

      But, the best writing and the best assembled cast since The Godfather are all for naught without a brilliant director at the helm. And, for his first film coming off the likes of Traffic and Erin Brockovich, director Steven Soderbergh made a truly fantastic and entertaining film. And, I will say that it was brilliant to choose three of the most iconic casinos in Vegas, the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand, as the robbery targets. Also, just setting the movie in Las Vegas was awesome, because it's easily one of those cities that people enjoy going to, and there's a lot to do there. 

      All in all, I really enjoy this movie, and I find it a ton of fun to watch. Seeing this group of actors pulling a near impossible heist in Vegas is just a lot of fun. I'm giving Ocean's Eleven a rating of 5/5. Now, obviously, there were sequels to this movie, and I think that I'll cover the fist of them, Ocean's Twelve, in June. 

      Anyway guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time.