I watched Ocean's Twelve (2004) for the obvious reasons - I liked Eleven and Thirteen, and I wanted to watch a known-quantity. I'm afraid it barely reached the level of mediocre.
So, the gang has retired after the last job, but the guy they ripped off has come back at them. He threatens them if they don't get all the money back with interest. So they get together and plan a series of European heists to pay off their debt.
Now, hold on a sec. They are going to give it all back? Just because some vic complains? If they are scared of him, why did they steal from him in the first place? OK, never mind, just get on with the capers.
They go to Europe - that's fun. Brad Pitt's ex-girlfriend from Interpol shows up, and she's Catherine Zeta-Jones. That's fun. Then they run into a problem and have to call on Danny Ocean's honey, played by Julia Roberts, to help out. She has to, get this, imitate Julia Roberts! Oh, sorry, SPOILER.
I actually liked that, although it was kind of lame. I also liked the improvised-sounding patter amongst the gang members. I really liked Carl Reiner's dignified old crook, and Elliot Gould's Jerry Lewis-inspired alter kocker.
But all in all, not very good. I am reminded of The Tourist, another caper-in-Europe film that had a lot going for it, but just wasn't good. Also, I sometimes get Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt mixed up (also Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie). Better you should enjoy The Italian Job (2003), which I only mention because Mark Wahlberg reminds me of Mat Damon, and Donald Sutherland of Elliot Gould... Uh, where was I?
Never mind. If a breezy caper movie with pretty people and locations is what you are in the mood for, and your standards aren't high, and you liked Ocean's Eleven, go ahead. It's not that bad.
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I always had the feeling that they made Thirteen because Twelve was such a mess and they didn't want to go out on a sour note.
Ocean's Eleven, by the way, I'll bet I've seen it fifty times. It comes on television, I wind up watching it. Saw it in the theater way back in the day and thought then and now that if it had been in black and white with French subtitles and had a name like Riffifi or Bob le Flambeur, it would be regarded as the greatest caper flick of all time. Because with the possible exception of The Sting, it might just be the greatest caper flick of all time.
I actually saw this one. It looked like the actors merely got together for a good time. Only incidentally did they make a movie. They half-assed it every day, never took the director seriously, collected their checks, and later went to Clooney's place for drinks.
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