Ocean’s 8: More Chicks, Less Dudes, Same Quality Heist Movie
When Ocean’s 8 was announced with the concept that we were abandoning the men of the series and replacing them with an all new cast of women, I actually thought “probably not the worst idea.” Ocean’s 12 and 13 were okay at best and simply couldn’t live up to Ocean’s 11, which will easily stand the test of time and will always be selected when randomly flipping through the movie guide. As a big advocate of heist movies, the idea of doing a soft reboot here within the same universe seemed like a great idea and honestly, it didn’t disappoint.
Our new team of thieves in Ocean’s 8 is led by Sandra Bullock’s Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny Ocean, and her number two, Lou, played by Cate Blanchett. Right from the get-go, it becomes very clear that Bullock and Blanchett are taking over the equivalent parts of George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The good news is that they actually pulled it off, as both played their parts to perfection. The remaining five/six members of the team really hold no other similarities to the original movies, which kept the characters from being repetitive. There’s no crazy duo like Scott Caan and Casey Affleck, there’s no acrobatics in the form of the beloved Yen, and even though Rihanna’s Nine Ball is the new tech master, she’s nothing like Livingston from the originals.
The new cast was fresh and fun with no weak links. Mindy Kaling and Helena Bonham Carter are great in their respective parts, both pulled out of the sunken depths of their own lives for the chance to become multi-millionaires in just a few short weeks. Awkwafina 1 had many moments to shine as the resident sleight-of-hand thief, and was also pretty funny, telling Mindy’s character to send her first tinder match an eggplant emoji just to get the conversation going. But it was really Emily Blunt’s (JK Sarah Paulson’s ) Tammy, who stole the show. When I sat down to see this movie, I literally thought the role of Tammy was going to be played by Emily Blunt2. So wrong, but who cares because Paulson crushes it. The funniest character by far, Paulson portrays a woman with some SERIOUS klepto issues, but is still a pivotal member of the team. Wait, did I only list off seven team members? Well, so did the trailers. So watch the movie and figure out number eight. Or guess. Or don’t. Up to you.
The thing about a reboot/sequel such as this is that the audience wants to be hooked like they were during the original. They loved the original. They want more of it. So there has to be a lot of similarities. Sure, people complained during The Force Awakens because instead of the Death Star, we had Starkiller Base 3, which seemed lame. But it was necessary to get the audience feeling the emotions of the original, so the really big Death Star was necessary. Ocean’s 8 accomplished the same effect. Like Ocean’s 11, we got to see the team get built over the opening act of the movie, which, other than maybe the twist during the heist, is the best part of any heist movie. We essentially got Danny Ocean 2.0 in Sandra Bullock, a couple of minor twists, and the classic “revenge within the heist” storyline. What, you thought this was just about the money? IT’S NEVER JUST ABOUT THE MONEY!
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I ended up having only one objection with this movie. At one point, as Debbie and Lou are building the team, Lou suggests a male to become a team member. Debbie shoots her down almost immediately because she wants no men on the team because “hims are more noticeable than hers.” I get it, you’re stealing stuff and don’t want to get caught, but how on earth is it that you think a man is going to be more noticeable in this situation? The big heist in this movie takes place at the Met Gala, where hundreds of celebrities are dressed to the nines, and you’re telling me that you’re more concerned about a guy in a tux getting noticed than a women in an extravagant dress? Come on Debbie. No way. There’s a hundred guys wearing roughly the same tux and every women’s dress is gorgeous, different, and stands out. HUGE plot hole… but I’ll overlook it since I really liked the rest of this movie. Those five seconds though…
Verdict: GOODOcean’s 8 is a good movie. The franchise was taken back to it’s roots, with women this time, and Gary Ross5 kept it clean and simple. The easiest mistake to be made here would have been to overcomplicate this installment and blow it out of proportion, à la Ocean’s 12 and 13. Don’t get me wrong, this movie is no Ocean’s 11, but it is the second best of the four movies and is a very worthy addition to the franchise. In the That Movie Blows database, Ocean’s 8 is leader in the clubhouse in the “exceeded expectations” category.
