成人X站

SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

After ‘Ocean’s 8,’ don’t expect to see an Ocean’s 9 or 10

Jun 8, 2018, 8:44 AM | Updated: 8:45 am

YouTube video

The 2001 George Clooney/Brad Pitt version of “Ocean’s 11” was basically an excuse to show off good-looking men in good-looking suits. Sure, there was a Vegas heist and all, but that was just the vehicle for audiences to watch a bunch a A-listers hanging out with each other. “Ocean’s 12” and “13” followed quickly upon the success of “Ocean’s 11.”

And now, 11 years after the last Clooney “Ocean’s,” we get an all-female version, “Ocean’s 8.” This gives Hollywood another chance to show off, this time with good-looking women in good-looking outfits all hanging out with each other. And the heist is even more of an afterthought.

Tom Tangney鈥檚 top 10 best bets for SIFF

The Ocean in “Ocean’s 8” is Debbie Ocean, played by Sandra Bullock. She’s the criminally inclined sister of George Clooney’s Danny Ocean and much like her older brother at the beginning of “Ocean’s 11,” she finds herself facing a parole board too, after serving over five years in prison.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Ocean. As you know, parole is a privilege.”

“It was a mistake. Uhh … But it happened. And, um, if I were to be released I would, um, just want the simple life. I just want to hold down a job, make some friends, pay my bills.”

Her idea of “paying her bills” involves stealing a $150 million necklace right off the neck of a huge movie star at the Met Gala in Manhattan. She corrals a slew of con artists played by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling and others to help her pull off the improbable heist. Anne Hathaway plays the jewelry theft victim.

The actresses are all fine in their roles, though none of the them is asked to do too much. The plot itself is so full of holes that you can insert whatever swiss cheese joke you’d like here. But the pacing is swift enough that the actual heist does make for an exciting 20 minutes or so of high-stakes tension.

What’s a bit disappointing is that the script does very little to take advantage of the unique fact this is an operation done almost entirely by women. It may be the nature of heists themselves, but every part could easily have been played by a man.

Sandra Bullock/Debbie Ocean does get in one good feminist line. She complains to her cohorts about how common it is for women to be ignored, so for once they’re going to take advantage of that. During the heist “we want to be ignored,” she says. But that’s about it for female solidarity.

Hollywood knows moviegoers are not going to line up to see “Ocean’s 8” for the quality of its heist or for its feminist credentials. What fans want to see are celebrity actresses dressing up and acting like celebrities, and that is what this movie delivers. But personally, I don’t expect to see an “Ocean’s 9” or “10” either.

For another, better heist movie opening June 8, I recommend “American Animals,” a SIFF film now getting a theatrical release. It’s based on a real-life heist attempt by a bunch of knuckle-headed college kids on an Indiana campus. They appear to have been too influenced by Hollywood movies to think straight.

WA wine sales decline...

Jason Sutich

WA wineries hit by 18% sales decline over past 3 years

Wine sales in Washington have recorded a substantial drop in recent years, down more than 18% since 2021, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.

2 minutes ago

Buffalo herd US 12 closed...

Jason Sutich

Buffalo herd closes both directions of US 12 in Elma

A herd of buffalo blocked both directions of the highway on US 12 in Elma at 6:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation confirmed.

2 hours ago

Lynnwood child shoots mother...

Jason Sutich

Weapons cache, homemade bombs found inside home of father in toddler shooting incident

The father of a 4-year-old child who accidentally shot his mother with an unsecured gun has pleaded not guilty to charges on Monday, according to KOMO News.

2 hours ago

Microsoft layoffs Redmond...

Jason Sutich

Microsoft confirms another round of layoffs at its Redmond campus

Microsoft has confirmed another round of layoffs at its Redmond campus, with 40 workers being laid off, as reported in a state filing.

3 hours ago

tacoma shooting...

Frank Lenzi

Tacoma police issue warning about scam calls

Tacoma police are warning residents about scam calls from people posing as law enforcement officers.

4 hours ago

Security Camera - seattle...

MyNorthwest Staff

Seattle considers $1M security camera expansion to protect students

As public safety concerns grow, the City of Seattle is considering a proposal to expand its security camera network into several neighborhoods, with a particular focus on the area surrounding Garfield High School.

4 hours ago

After ‘Ocean’s 8,’ don’t expect to see an Ocean’s 9 or 10