SHE HATHAWAY ABOUT HER - My Review of OCEAN'S 8 (3 Stars) I totally support the GHOSTBUSTER-izing of Hollywood classics by recasting them with all-female leads in so much that I recognize that sometimes audiences just want to see their favorite stars skipping through a forgettable lark every now and then. So why not give us the distaff versions? Bring on LADY EXPENDABLES...which...upon reflection...sounded better in my head. I enjoyed the OCEAN movies for their sleekness, star power, and step-by-step heist instructions and OCEAN'S 8, from writer-director Gary Ross (THE HUNGER GAMES, PLEASANTVILLE), who co-wrote the screenplay with Olivia Milch, entertained me as much as the others. It's a smooth, shiny, night out at the movies, no more, no less. Okay, maybe a little less, as this entertaining trifle could have been shot through with a little more energy, tighter editing, and humor pass with a script rewrite. It settles for glamour and the mechanics of pulling off a heist, losing some much-needed zip along the way. The film opens on Sandra Bullock's Debbie Ocean (sister to George Clooney's character), incarcerated for years and pretending full rehabilitation at her parole hearing. Once sprung, her intentions crystalize as she pulls together a diamond heist she'd been planning all those years behind bars. As she gathers the troops, which include Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina (really funny), all of whom get their moments to shine, I couldn't help but think that Bullock, as the anchor, was giving what I call a Bruce Willis performance. Wan, detached, and kind of phoning it in, Bullock appears disengaged, choosing not to mine her delightful strengths that made her a star. It's odd considering this is a film more about star power than anything else. The heist, however, is everything, and thankfully, it's fun to watch it all come together. Without it, there's no film. They literally plan a robbery of a priceless necklace to be worn at the annual Met Gala, and then they execute that plan. The end. Sure, there are a couple of unexpected twists and turns, but this movie delights in, as the A-Team used to say, "loving it when a plan comes together". Luckily, this plan includes Anne Hathaway as the unsuspecting star, the hilariously named Daphne Kluger, who our gang manipulate into wearing to the ball. Hathaway demonstrates the best thievery in the film by completely stealing it. Her self-absorbed, sunny on the outside but dead on the inside character somehow manages to make an ensemble comedy all about her, and as an audience, we can't help but love her. Welcome back Anne! We Les Miz'd you! Despite the overall fun of the film, I noticed some missed opportunities, not only with a lack of strong jokes, but with giving Blanchett, who looks sensational, a little more to chew on, and there's a specific moment begging for Clooney that left me wanting for more. All told, OCEAN'S 8 proves serviceable, highly watchable, yet somewhat lackluster. Perhaps we've entered a low stakes, high glamour era in Hollywood filmmaking, but somehow the decision to remove the obstacles and just revel in the heist itself works here. Bonus points for Daniel Pemberton's memorable, mid-century style score. This is old Hollywood glitz at its best. Too bad Bullock didn't quite get the memo.

Regardless of the concept, I've always been intrigued every time a new heist movie makes it to the big screen. The sheer notion of watching a group of people flawlessly pull off something that most people would be crazy to attempt is quite entertaining for many reasons. Ocean's 8 is the latest film of its kind to hit theatres and with the weight of the previous trilogy on its shoulders, there was a high bar to meet. I'm a huge fan of the previous remake of Ocean's Eleven and while neither of the sequels quite match the quality of it, I was hoping Ocean's 8 would steer this franchise in a new direction. While I did enjoy watching this movie, for the most part, I did find myself pretty disappointed by it as a whole. I can't quite recommend this movie as a great film, but if you're a fan of the franchise, here's why you may find some enjoyment in its latest addition. Ocean's 8 follows the sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney from the previous films) in Debbie Ocean, as she is released from prison and has plotted to rob the Met Gala in New York City. The plan is to steal a necklace that's worth over 150 million dollars, so naturally, she finds a group of women who are very interested in helping out. All having their quirks, they each become a necessity in accomplishing this task. Quite honestly, aside from the first film, this was probably my favorite heist sequence when looking back at the franchise, but if that's all the movie has to offer, then a lot will be left to be desired. A slow build up is fine if your climax pays off in a big way and for that alone, I found a lot of enjoyment from the movie as a whole. The very meticulous plan makes for an engaging climax and I was sucked into the movie until the very end. That being said, the first act of the movie nearly put me to sleep. This movie takes a very long time to peak your interest. Yes, there are a few interesting characters and some humorous moments will keep you interested, but I didn't find those elements to be enough. I found myself breathing a huge sigh of relief when the actual heist began because the movie didn't seem to have a pulse until that point. Luckily, the dull moments were held together by some likable actresses. From Sandra Bullock to Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway to Sarah Paulson, and even Rihanna to Mindy Kaling, everyone had their moment to shine here and I was having a blast watching these characters interact with one another. Sadly, those moments are few and far between. These actresses give their all with what they're given, but the script (aside from the plotting of the climax itself) just felt a little generic. A group of women gets together to do a heist and the circumstances are very much the same as the first film in the franchise. Nothing new was brought to the table, which was the one thing I was hoping for with this movie. Fans of the franchise may have some fun with the movie when it truly kicks into high gear, as I surely did, but the overall movie is frankly average. In particular, I found some of the unique editing choices to be slightly cheesy and I'm not sure if the movie's style worked all that much. The pacing is off in many places and it seems as though music is used throughout the first act to liven up a scene and prevent it from being boring. For all of these reasons and more, I can't quite recommend this movie to many viewers, but if you enjoy watching a good heist, that portion of this film is worth the price of admission in my opinion. While it's not something you have to rush out and see at the cinema, Ocean's 8 is worth renting.