OCEAN’S 8 REVIEWED
“Ocean’s 8” fulfills the long-standing promise of a Danny Ocean extended universe. But, this is supposed to be a girl power movie about how the ladies can get it done their way. Well, kinda. But, the ghost of Danny Ocean lingers heavily over the film. Also, Elliot Gould shows up as Reuben (the other older Jewish man from the OT) and congratulates them on their work. Plus, they had to hire a man to function as a distraction. But, Sandra Bullock…am I right?
The Ocean’s films are fun and this latest installment picked up on that. Anne Hathaway leaned into public misconceptions about her, while the spirit of the original heists live on in Debbie. Still, there were so many sticking points that hindered one’s enjoyment. Cate Blanchett is criminally wasted. She’s meant to be a semi-counterpart to Brad Pitt’s character from the original Soderbergh trilogy. But, Pitt got to have a personality and talent. Blanchett almost feels like Bullock’s personal assistant keeping track of everything going on.
GIRL POWER WORKED THIS TIME?
Awkwafina impressed me, but even her role was reduced to hitting three or four points and then fading back. While I’m not against the idea of female powering older franchises, Ocean’s 8 handled it in a reasonable way. Older fans were pissed upon for the loose tangent of inclusion. Plus, the ladies were given time to build their own identity as a robbery crew. While that didn’t come together perfectly, it at least gelled in a way that Paul Feig movie never did.
I eagerly await to see what kind of sequel comes out of this movie. The easy answer would be leaning hard into Anne Hathaway and the comedy. However, there seemed to be something delightfully off with Sarah Paulson’s character. I can’t put a finger on it, but I’d love to see a psychological crime pushing in hard on her subtle neurotic tics. At least that way they could actually add tension to this emerging franchise. That complaint’s valid, people. But, you’ll still get at least one solid viewing out of this one.
FILM STATS
- 1 hr and 50 mins
- PG-13
- Warner Brothers
