Ocean's 8 Review
Ocean’s 11(1960), Ocean’s 11(2001), Ocean’s 12(2004), Ocean’s 13(2007), Ocean’s 8(2018). It’s clear Warner Bros. has definitely milked as much as they possibly can out of this franchise and yet, they were still able to put something out that’s fresh and energetic. In the age of franchise movies, that’s an impressive feat this far in. Perhaps the decision to opt for an all female cast in place of Clooney and his usual cast of characters is exactly the puzzle piece needed to keep this series going.
Ocean’s 8 is the second major Hollywood reboot with an all female cast (the other being 2016’s Ghostbusters). Whereas that movie seemed to be doomed from the moment of its conception, Ocean’s 8 always felt like it had a chance. After this weekend’s box office numbers (the highest opening for the franchise) it seems that Warner Bros. made the right decision. However, you can’t help but wonder if this is a good trend in Hollywood. There’s no issue with predominately female casts. However, some seem to question why studios can’t start building new franchises for these women instead of relying on switching up an already established brand. On the one hand, the familiarity with a particular property gives studios better marketability and drives audiences to the theatre. On the other hand, it’s preventing the establishment of new franchises with these female casts that could stand on their own. I’m not sure what the right answer is but I’m interested to see where this trend takes us over the next few years.
Back to my thoughts on Ocean’s 8. It gives you exactly what’s been promised from the trailers. If the marketing worked for you, the movie should deliver a fun time. At the end of the day, it’s empty calories. You’re not going to get much out of it aside from an entertaining 2 hours. There’s nothing particularly memorable about the film but it’s still a great time in the theatre regardless.
The story follows Debbie Ocean(Danny Ocean’s sister) played by Sandra Bullock who recently released from a 5 year prison sentence, decides to get a crew together to pull of a seemingly impossible heist involving the Met Gala. Ocean’s 8 dives right into it. Debbie gets out of prison and immediately hits the ground running, planning her next scheme. In that sense, the film doesn’t give you much room to breathe. It maintains a pretty rapid pace throughout it’s 2 hour runtime and doesn’t really have any slower scenes of dialogue to build character or explore anything meaningful. Luckily, for a movie like this, that doesn’t matter. It keeps you engaged the whole time. It’s the only film in a while that I can say never had a dull moment for me. The time flew by.
The story isn’t anything too complex or special but setting it at the Met Gala did add to its enjoyment. There’s plenty of fun celebrity cameos and it feels like the perfect setting for a big, over the top heist movie.
The cast is also great. It’s one of the marks of a typical Ocean’s movie. You need that all-star line-up. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter… they’re all fantastic! Everyone from Sarah Paulson to Mindy Kaling fit their roles perfectly. For me, Rihanna and Awkwafina were pleasant surprises, mixing in well with this team of seasoned actors.
You’ll get exactly what you’d expect. My only fear with Ocean’s 8 was that Warner Bros. had already gotten everything they could out of this property. Once that happens, you get something remarkably dull. Fortunately, the all-female spin on something familiar was a welcome way to keep this series alive. Get in your car, buy your tickets and some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy.
