OCEAN’S 8 – Rated PG-13 – I hr. 50 mins.
Director: Gary Ross
Writers: Gary Ross, Olivia Milch, George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russell
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Dakota Fanning, Helena Bonham Carter, Elliott Gould, Richard Armitage
As we meet Danny Ocean’s sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock), she’s just been released from prison for good behavior, and has promised not to continue her criminal ways…
But with the excessive amount of time on her hands the last few years, Debbie has come up with a fool proof plan to makes lots of cash, and to bring her bff Lou (Cate Blanchett) along for the ride…
Following in big brother’s footsteps it seems, Debbie knows how to put together a team of incredible masterminds as well, including jeweler Amita (Mindy Kahling), IT Specialist Nine Ball (Rihanna), Theft Specialist Tammy (Sarah Paulson), pick-pocket extraordinaire Constance (Awkwafina), and fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), because you have your team of beauties roaming around the Met, unless they have “the perfect dress”!
And more importantly than the attire of the evening, if you are going to pull off 150M Heist at the Met Gala right under everyone’s nose, then you must secure a pretentious and self-absorbed socialite to do your dirty work ~ enter Ms. Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway).
Now, with everything in place, and the heist in full swing, it’s up to Debbie and her team of female criminals to make sure that they make this exclusive event, a memorable one, not only for themselves, but for everyone involved…
I give OCEANS 8 a rating between MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN or WAIT AND CATCH THIS FILM ON DVD! I was so excited to see this film, with all of its high-profile actresses, and its Oceanesque storyline. But, I’m sad to say that OCEAN’S 8 fell short for me in plot development ~ Oceans 11 & 13 were so much better, and 12 even can go toe-to-toe with this film. I also felt that the character development this time around was way too overdone, providing us with too much on each individual of the team, and not enough about what they are going to do to pull pull off the “heist of the century”. With that said, I did feel that this film was rather entertaining, and that the casting of each of these ladies was superb, as they all seemed perfectly selected for their respective roles. I also thoroughly enjoyed the multitude of cameos that just kept popping up throughout, although I really was hoping to see numerous gentleman appear from the other Ocean films before it was all said and done, and to my dismay, not too many of them made the final cut. So, all-in-all, OCEAN’S 8 is enjoyable to view, and it is perfectly suited for a night out on the town with your girlfriends…but, if you are hoping that this “all female team” is going to outdo the boys in their respective roles, think again, because it just didn’t happen… as these female characters weren’t given as much dimension or likability as any of the guys were, in any of the previous OCEAN Films.
Kathy Kaiser
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This humble opinion is brought to you by T. K. Edwards
OCEAN’S 8 – Rated PG-13 – 1 hr. 50 mins
Director by: Gary Ross
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Richard Armitage
Danny Ocean’s ex-con sister assembles her own crew of expert thieves to steal a diamond necklace from a museum.
THIS SEGMENT WILL BE SPOILER FREE
I am a huge fan of the original OCEAN’S 11 franchise! I’ve seen them countless times and will always stop to watch them if they’re playing on television. So when I heard they were making OCEAN’S 8, it wasn’t excitement that filled me, but more hesitation instead. I knew the film was going to be all women and that’s NOT what filled me with hesitation (that’s actually the reason that got me in the theater seat), no…I hesitated because they were messing with something that I already loved and had closure on. OCEAN’S 8 felt like a fourth movie to a series that should’ve just stopped at three…only they did just stop at three and this is not a sequel to those movies. No, this movie is just based in that same world, but without the playful feeling you got while watching the original trilogy. OCEAN’S 8 (while not a bad movie…not by far) is just more bitter and leaves more of an openness inside you. You’re constantly waiting for original characters from the first three films to pop up and say hello, but alas…they don’t show up…or do they?…(LOL, i’m not telling, ha!). Sandra Bullock leads this all women crew this time and is your carbon copy of George Clooney’s Danny Ocean, with one exception, she is just not that likeable of a character. I think that’s the major difference in OCEAN’S 8 and the original trilogy. You like and can relate more to all of the characters in O11, O12, & O13. They made the movie fun and you bought the fact that they all knew and liked each other. They felt like a family and you believed they had known each other for a long time. In OCEAN’S 8, the crew was just thrown together and you’re supposed to buy they can pull anything off…any type of heist or robbery was going to be a breeze because the plan was concocted by Danny Ocean’s sister. I’m sorry, I really wasn’t expecting this sour feeling the movie left me with…it was very surprising to say the least. But to sum this up and give you a better understanding as to where I stand I’ll just say this…OCEAN’S 8 is not a bad film, but it’s not better than OCEAN’S 12 (which is the weakest of the original 3 and considered by most to be awful – which is not my opinion, not by a long shot). If I had to put all of these movies (OCEAN’S 11, 12, 13, & 8) in order it would go as follows:
- OCEAN’S 11 (Gold)
- OCEAN’S 13 (Silver)
- OCEAN’S 12 (Bronze)
- OCEAN’S 8 (Honorable Mention)
In conclusion, I just want to reiterate that I love…absolutely LOVE, the OCEAN’S franchise. Did OCEAN’S 8 need to be made?…No. Did it still entertain me?…Yes. Should there be a sequel in its future?…I don’t think that’s necessary. In my humble opinion OCEAN’S 8 is definitely one you can wait to watch at home or not at all (especially if you’re a fan of the original trilogy because there may be some things in this new one you can’t unsee – you’ve been warned). Until next time, thanks for reading.
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 