The math is hard to do in Oceans Thirteen. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is back for film number three. He still has his ten trusted men, the “Oceans’ Eleven”. The early movie poster featured twelve guys. That’s your original eleven plus their old rival Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), which makes twelve. Divide them in half to see who’s famous enough to get their names strewn above the title. Then add two more “names”: Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino. They’re the villains of the piece, (though the inimitably sexy Barkin is more of a henchman than a straight up evildoer). Where were we? Six protagonist stars + six supporting actors + two antagonist stars = Hmmm. So isn’t this Oceans III: Oceans Fourteen?
The arithmetic sure can make you dizzy. But the fast talking Oceans Thirteen likes it that way. It throws a lot of numbers at you. Its outlandishly complex heist plot is set in motion by a simpler swindling. Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Danny’s dear friend, is cheated out of his shares in a Vegas deal –one that would have netted him millions. The swindler is one Willie Bank (Al Pacino) an unscrupulous hotelier who obsessively prides himself on those Five Diamond ratings he collects. Numbers numbers and more numbers. At one point there’s even a delicious widescreen graphic of various dollar figures - gambling wins from each of the casino’s lucky patrons. The name of this super casino hotel? “Bank”, of course.
Does the plot of Oceans Thirteen add up? Doubtful. And neither do all of its jokes. One subplot about the thirty-thousand dollars (plus change) needed to end a workers strike at a factory in Mexico seems particularly insensitive, especially once you’ve multiplied the number with the reaction that it provokes in these über wealthy movie stars playing eight figure inured con artists. Thankfully the remainder of this caper is fun and great looking. Brad Pitt still exudes effortless cool as Rusty. Matt Damon and Casey Affleck boost the laughs and Ellen Barkin - disappointingly offered only two jokes - is still a perfect quirky ten.
Not that all of the math matter, mind you. Unless you’re talking box office numbers which Steven Soderbergh and frequent business partner and star George Clooney clearly are. They’re back in make a buck mode: all the better to finance their more experimental and/or politically savvy films. Oceans Thirteen is an enjoyable disposable lark. It doesn’t add anything new to its routine equation but one hundred and thirteen minutes pass swiftly, fourteen actors have a good time, and an undisclosed number of audience members will too. You won’t see it on top ten lists but it’s still likely to make bank.
