Review - Ocean's 8 (2018)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, it's time that we, for the time being, wrap up the Ocean's franchise with 2018's Ocean's 8, directed by Gary Ross, and starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, and Helena Bonham Carter, along with the likes of Richard Armitage, James Corden, Elliot Gould, and Shaobo Qin. 

        The movie introduces us to Debbie Ocean, sister to Danny Ocean, who is being released from prison on parole. She sets herself up in New York City, where she visits a mausoleum where Danny is, allegedly, buried. I say allegedly because it's not clear if he's actually dead or not. Anyway, Debbie is approached by Ruben Tishkoff, who tells her that Danny did believe her plan could be pulled off, but Ruben advises her against trying to pull it off. 

        However, Debbie is very much intent on going ahead with the plan, and recruits six women, some of whom she's had past work with. The six women recruited include Debbie's friend and partner in crime Lou Miller, suburban mom and professional fence Tammy, jewelry maker Amita, disgraced fashion designer Rose Weil, computer hacker Leslie "Nine Ball" Jordan, and street hustler/pickpocket Constance. Now, what is the plan? On the night of the Met Gala, steal the Toussaint, a diamond necklace from Cartier valued at $150 million, by having it worn by actress Daphne Kluger, who is hosting the event. But, to avoid suspicion, they need to create a replica of the Toussaint out of cubic zirconia. 

       So, a good amount of the movie is spent gaining access to the Met's security system, gaining access to the Toussaint at Cartier in order to create the replica, set up Rose to be the.designer for Daphne's dress for the Met Gala, and scope out the seating arrangements for the various guests who will be attending the event, including some top name celebrities like Heidi Klum, Kim Kardashian, and Common. Also, Debbie sets it up for Daphne to consider art dealer Claude Becker, whose betrayal led to Debbie's stint in prison, as a date for the Met Gala. However, Lou isn't a fan of trying to get revenge against Becker and leaves. 

       The Met Gala arrives, and Daphne is shown to look stunning in the dress Rose designed, which is complimented by the Toussaint. Some time during the event, Daphne eats some bad food and gets sick. During this moment, Constance nabs the Toussaint, manages to get it into Amita in the kitchen, who proceeds to break it into smaller pieces. Meanwhile, security clears the venue out, and Tammy presents the replica and returns it. The fragments of the Toussaint are each taken out by Debbie and the others. However, Cartier later discovers that the Toussaint they received was fake, and they call in an investigator named John Frazier to look into the situation. 

       However, Frazier is a friend, and a portion of the Toussaint is planted on Becker by actresses Debbie hired, who is charged with the theft and is arrested, as several deposits regarding the Toussaint were made to his account. All the while, Daphne is keen to Debbie's scheme, and requests a cut in exchange for keeping Debbie and the others out of prison. Lou and Debbie also reveal that they took MORE than just the Toussaint, as while everyone was looking for the missing Toussaint, Lou was working with The Amazing Yen to switch several diamond pieces on display in the Met with convincing replicas, thus increasing the amount each woman gets in her share from what was promised before. With these bigger payouts, Tammy gets herself a warehouse for the stolen goods she fences, Constance sets herself up in a loft and starts a YouTube channel, Amita goes to Paris with a man she met on Tinder, Rose pays off her debts and opens a store, Daphne becomes a film director, Nine Ball opens a pool hall, Lou rides her motorcycle on a scenic road trip, and Debbie mixes and enjoys a martini at Danny's grave, knowing he'd be proud of her. 

       So, Ocean's 8 was certainly an interesting entry in the franchise. The movie plays out very similarly to Ocean's Eleven in terms of forming a heist. However, the movie is clever in making the heist, which is stealing a series of valuable diamond pieces, make sense for a group of women to pull off. And, the ensemble of women leading the film is also fantastic, with Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett leading the pack really well. Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, and Helena Bonham Carter were all fantastic for what they were given in this movie, and they all worked off of each other really well. However, while I appreciate it as a different kind of story in the Ocean's franchise, I can see how Ocean's 8 might not be for everyone. Sometimes, it takes a particular ensemble to make magic. And, while the ensemble of women in this movie were great,. I don't see them returning for another Ocean's movie any time soon. 

      Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys in the next review.