In the newest addition to the Ocean's franchise, Sandra Bullock leads a powerhouse cast who once again prove that women are the key to revitalizing a franchise. Ocean's 8 is a solid heist film with an exciting plot and great characters, but the pacing and directing unfortunately held it back from becoming as memorable as it could have been.
This film succeeds in something that many others don't, and for that, I was pleasantly surprised. It succeeds in telling a group of characters' stories together fluently and showing off each actress's talents. Each character had their own individual skill that was showcased and worked well together for the overall plot. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), Lou (Cate Blanchett), Amita (Mindy Kaling), Tammy (Sarah Paulson), Constance (Awkwafina), Rose Well (Helena Bonham Carter), Nine Ball (Rihanna), and Daphne (Anne Hathaway) were all outstanding in their roles. Their characters were written so well and they functioned as a team exceptionally. There were also some great cameos during the Gala scenes and amazing design with the dresses and fashion throughout the second act.
However well this cast worked together, there were obviously some characters that were valued over the others. Bullock's Debbie was the main protagonist, because without her relation to Danny Ocean (George Clooney), this would have nothing to do with the Ocean's universe. And the writing in the beginning definitely made sure that the audience knew who her brother was. The fact that Debbie was Danny's sister and that Danny was (suspiciously) dead was hammered in near the beginning and it was a bit much. I feel like this film could have respected the audience's intelligence more by letting us put together the fact that they were related and he was dead. But then again, all of the trailers made sure we knew that too. As for the tone of the film, it was a very generic take: a solid plot with a good mix of humor and drama. It was entertaining, but nothing extraordinarily re-watchable. Even though there was nothing particularly special about the cinematography or editing, I appreciated the use of the transitions. Although a bit cheesy, the "cross-stitching" effect worked well with the sly, criminal tone.
Pacing was definitely the biggest issue with this movie, and I don't feel like the director Gary Ross did as good of a job as he could have. This film started off very slowly and it took a long time to get the characters introduced. Like I mentioned before, the writing took way too much time to explain that Debbie was Danny's brother in order to connect this to the other Ocean's films. The second act was the most interesting part to watch, as the women planned and executed the heist at the Met Gala. After that, however, is when I expected it to wrap up, but then James Corden came in. I enjoy Corden in small amounts; I appreciate his energy and positivity in all of his roles, but his character John Frazier was not needed. The entire investigation arc with him did nothing for the overall plot, other than once again reinforce Debbie's connection to the other films. The last part I had an issue with was the reveal that Daphne was working with them the entire time, as it was very obviously predictable. This film is titled Ocean's 8, after all, and there were only seven of them up until the reveal (hmm).
Ocean's 8 is a decently fun film with a great cast and an entertaining story. Even though the pacing is a bit off and it lulls at many points, I would still recommend this movie for the incredible cast and its fresh take on the heist genre.
My Rating: ★★★½
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