Ocean's 8

The modern era of female cast takes on established movies and/or comedies in general has been a rocky one to say the least. The root of this arguably started with the surprise smash hit of Bridesmaids since its critical and box office success was due to the combination of the actresses chemistry with each other along with the solid writing associated with it. It was followed up by attempts at replicating what it achieved by projects such as Ghostbusters (2016) and Rough Night, which failed due to poor screenplays, bland direction, and were polarizing in audience reception. The only exception would arguably be Girls Trip (2017) as it provided enough charm, wit, and laughs for solid entertainment value. This brings us to Ocean's 8, a project that was fourth entry to titular series that debuted in the 2000s (the first of which was remake of a 1960s original that I haven't seen). I watch the trilogy for the first time to become familiar with it by the time 8 premiered. The marketing seemed simple enough with laying out its format and it received a mixed critical reception. I entered the auditorium ready to see how it work within the titular series and left it satisfied enough with what it did (which wasn't any different from how I felt about the previous ones but was glad I gave it a chance).

Thought's on the Ocean's 11, 12, 13: This trilogy finds a group of crooks and con artists led by Danny Ocean (George Clooney) into planning and enacting heists on casinos and other places for financial and/or personal reasons. They all have a nice style that Steven Soderbergh was able to bring in with each one from the camera shots and music selection. Once you've seen 11, you don't really need to watch the sequels to know what you're in for with 8. In addition to that, the followup movies aren't as good as 11 with 12 being unbearable to where I couldn't make it halfway through and 13 being better but kind of meandering in parts. The cast are all of these actors who you've seen in other roles basically just hanging out with each other and doing their normal schtick. While 2/3 of them are entertaining to watch, they never really made that much of an impact on me but are watchable to see how the big plans are executed.

Plot: The story follows the sister of Danny Ocean as she gets a crew together to rob the Met Gala after serving a 5 year prison sentence. The best way to describe the structure is if you've seen any of the previous installments, you have an idea of what's going to happen. That's not necessarily bad here since 13 also did this and was slower in its pacing by comparison. What's good to appreciate here is that once the main lead is out of jail in the opening, it immediately cuts to her stealing items to get prepared for assembling a group to carry a plan. It's also refreshing to see one of these entries actually steer clear away from the casinos for once instead going for a fashion event (along with some nice outfits along the way as a bonus for those who enjoy that factor). Also for those of you have seen the previous installments, there are two cameos that appear in the first and the third act.

However, it's still a formulaic approach that's similar to 13 where you have an idea of what events will transpire and that it actually happens. The script itself is abundant with all the cliches expected for a heist such as male characters who serve an archetype that's been utilized before. It also follows the previously established tradition of well known actresses doing their own thing with material that doesn't give them that much to work with. The heist itself doesn't have any sense of danger nor the thrills of the casino ones form 11 and 13 but it's about as complicated as them (for better or worse). All that being said, the story is harmless in delivering a serviceable experience that's watchable due summer escapism for this type of genre.

Characters: The people to focus on are Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), and Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway). One thing to note about the star-studded cast here is that the characterization they are dealing with is rather limited and are doing what they can with their charm/chemistry. Debbie is the estranged sister of Danny who enacts a convoluted robbery at the Met Gala with the help of women she recruits. Sandra is a good presence here in watching her portray a sleazy version of the roles she would normally play while at the same time wondering what kind of fountain of youth she's taking in her 50s.

Rose is a disgraced fashion designer who's part of Debbie crew in putting her scheme into play. Helena is actually refreshing here in how scatterbrained she acts in this role to the point of becoming a highlight with some funny scenes of her own (she's only being mentioned since she's one of my favorites here and it's nice to see her in another project that isn't related to Tim Burton). Daphne is an air-head celebrity and target of Debbie's group in their robbery plan. Anne is another highlight performer here as she's having a bit of fun acting as what people think of stereotypical actors. An honorable mention goes to John Frazier (James Corden) for being the only male character who's not just a one note cliche. A dishonorable mention goes Claude Becker (Richard Armitage) for being a lackluster antagonist compared to the previous ones in the series (Andy Garcia and Al Pacino).

Overall Consensus: Ocean's 8 balances its predictable cliches, familiar story structure, and limited script with the strengths of its actresses charm, nice looking costumes/sets, and summer heist escapism. ⭑⭑⭑1/4💻 Runtime: 2 hours 7 minutes PG-13

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You have seen any of the Ocean's entries or want to go in blind. You enjoy any project where celebrities are just hanging out playing their schtick. You don't mind formulaic stereotypical genre movies. You are interested in female cast takes on established movies. You are a fan of heist flicks.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You aren't a fan of the titular films and/or are bored by heist flicks. You are annoyed with any project where celebrities are just hanging out while playing their usual schtick. You mind formulaic stereotypical genre movies. You aren't interested in female cast takes on established movies.