Ocean's 8 Review
With the likes of Ghostbusters and this movie, we are seeing a trend in remaking old movies with all female casts. And this just seems to be the beginning: there are talks of adapting What About Bob, The Nice Guys, and Lord of the Flies into female centric movies. Some of this is a bad idea (see: Lord of the Flies), and some I welcome, although critically. But can a reboot be that good? Why not just make an original?
Other franchises have also come back with more diverse casts, the main one being Star Wars. Though this is not seen in the same realm as Ghostbusters and Ocean's movies remake, it has the same idea. Bring back something people loved with a different spin.
I have seen the original Oceans movies, but only once and a long time ago. I remembered sparse details going into this movie, so therefore all the nods to the originals were lost on me, and I was not worried about this movie 'ruining' the old ones.
The movie opens with Debbie Ocean, sister of famed and dead Danny Ocean, pleading her release from prison. She claims that she just wants "the simple life." Once free, she strolls down the street, heels clicking, and cons her way into some pricey makeup and a free hotel room. This intro is amazing to watch, because she slides her way through everything so confidently and swiftly. The rest of the movie carries this theme of perfectly executed heists in a way that's thrilling to the viewer. They make it look so easy you can't help but think you could do it too.
The team of women, masters of hacking, sleight of hand, jewelry making, and more, headed by the mastermind behind it all, Debbie Ocean, plan to rob the all famous Toussaint from the neck of Daphne Kleuger (Anne Hathaway) at the Met Gala. The heist is planned like clockwork, which is always a joy to watch. It is also fun to see something seemingly not important come back later in the movie, an old trick known as Chekhov's gun that never ceases to delight.
The cast is stacked. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bodham Carter, Mindy Kahling, Sarah Paulson, and Awkwafina all put together in the same movie. Sometimes, too many stars can blind a picture, but I am happy to report that that did not happen here. They all shone in different ways and at different points, in a harmony equivalent to that of a fireworks show.
This movie is fun. It's not perfect, or groundbreaking (it is a reboot, after all), but it is something fun to watch. I saw it in a crowded theater, largely female, and that was part of what made it fun: the laughing, woo-ing, and overall enjoyment of seeing people kicking butt on screen. It wasn't hard to guess what would happen next, and no plot twist came all that shockingly, but for me at least, that doesn't ruin a movie. Like all heist movies, the movie is split in three parts: planning, execution, and getting away with it. The viewer is supposed to marvel at the genius of the criminals as they plan for every possible outcome.
The movie comments on it's all female cast twice. Once, when Debbie (Sandra Bullock) and Lou (Cate Blanchett) are assembling the team, Debbie insists on all women. Lou asks why, and Debbie responds, "A He gets noticed, a She gets ignored. For once, we want to be ignored." When they are about to go into the Met Gala to steal the necklace, Debbie talks to her team, saying, "we're not doing this for ourselves, we're doing it because somewhere out there there is an eight year old girl, lying in bed, wishing to be a criminal. We're doing this for her." (clearly I do not remember the exact line but you get the point).
Overall, this movie is fine. It is a fun, albeit unnecessary, reboot that makes for a fun afternoon out. Out of ten, I'd give it seven stars.
Other franchises have also come back with more diverse casts, the main one being Star Wars. Though this is not seen in the same realm as Ghostbusters and Ocean's movies remake, it has the same idea. Bring back something people loved with a different spin.
The movie opens with Debbie Ocean, sister of famed and dead Danny Ocean, pleading her release from prison. She claims that she just wants "the simple life." Once free, she strolls down the street, heels clicking, and cons her way into some pricey makeup and a free hotel room. This intro is amazing to watch, because she slides her way through everything so confidently and swiftly. The rest of the movie carries this theme of perfectly executed heists in a way that's thrilling to the viewer. They make it look so easy you can't help but think you could do it too.
The team of women, masters of hacking, sleight of hand, jewelry making, and more, headed by the mastermind behind it all, Debbie Ocean, plan to rob the all famous Toussaint from the neck of Daphne Kleuger (Anne Hathaway) at the Met Gala. The heist is planned like clockwork, which is always a joy to watch. It is also fun to see something seemingly not important come back later in the movie, an old trick known as Chekhov's gun that never ceases to delight.
The cast is stacked. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bodham Carter, Mindy Kahling, Sarah Paulson, and Awkwafina all put together in the same movie. Sometimes, too many stars can blind a picture, but I am happy to report that that did not happen here. They all shone in different ways and at different points, in a harmony equivalent to that of a fireworks show.
This movie is fun. It's not perfect, or groundbreaking (it is a reboot, after all), but it is something fun to watch. I saw it in a crowded theater, largely female, and that was part of what made it fun: the laughing, woo-ing, and overall enjoyment of seeing people kicking butt on screen. It wasn't hard to guess what would happen next, and no plot twist came all that shockingly, but for me at least, that doesn't ruin a movie. Like all heist movies, the movie is split in three parts: planning, execution, and getting away with it. The viewer is supposed to marvel at the genius of the criminals as they plan for every possible outcome.
The movie comments on it's all female cast twice. Once, when Debbie (Sandra Bullock) and Lou (Cate Blanchett) are assembling the team, Debbie insists on all women. Lou asks why, and Debbie responds, "A He gets noticed, a She gets ignored. For once, we want to be ignored." When they are about to go into the Met Gala to steal the necklace, Debbie talks to her team, saying, "we're not doing this for ourselves, we're doing it because somewhere out there there is an eight year old girl, lying in bed, wishing to be a criminal. We're doing this for her." (clearly I do not remember the exact line but you get the point).
Overall, this movie is fine. It is a fun, albeit unnecessary, reboot that makes for a fun afternoon out. Out of ten, I'd give it seven stars.
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