"Ocean's 8" (2018) Review

               “Ocean’s 8”: an irresistibly entertaining, female-led heist film.

                                                                                            Image courtesy of Warner Brothers Studios.

                                             

Directed by: Gary Ross

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 1:50

Review by: Livi Edmonson

While behind bars for five years plus, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) uses her quality time in jail to think of the ultimate heist to perform once she is released. More specifically, she plans to rob a Cartier necklace, that is priced at over 150 million dollars, off the neck of movie star Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway). To make the job even riskier, she plans to do it all at this year’s annual Met Gala, which is also one of the most secure events of the year. 

Debbie cannot do this alone, of course. So, she does what the Ocean family does best and recruits several accomplices: her partner in crime, Lou Miller (Cate Blanchett), clever street thief Constance (Awkwafina), jeweler Amita (Mindy Kaling), genius web-hacker “9-Ball” (Rihanna), suburban mom Tammy (Sarah Paulson), and an elegant fashion designer named Rose (Helen Bonham Carter). The sneaky women must put their heads together in order to pull off what, if successful, will be one of the biggest heists in history. 

For those who are unaware, “Ocean’s 8” is a spinoff of the original “Ocean’s” trilogy films that were released in the early 2000’s. There are quite a few Easter eggs in this particular flick for those who are a fan of the original movies starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. For example, Bullock’s character, Debbie, is Danny Ocean’s younger sister. However, don’t worry if you don’t know who this is or have not seen the originals. There is no need to go back and binge watch all of them. Though similar to the original films, “Ocean’s 8” is an almost entirely different breed of a film and far more entertaining than the original trilogy. That’s right, I said it and I’ll say it again: “Ocean’s 8” is a way better film than any of the originals.

For a film to be even considered a true “Ocean’s” film or a heist film in general, it has to have a spectacular cast. No, not good or great. Spectacular. The “Ocean’s 8” cast is nothing short of spectacular. Though some of the casting choices might seem a little strange at first, I can promise you that there is not one single character that isn’t as entertaining as the others. Each character has their own sense of humor and stylish vibe about them, but none of them outshine any of the others, which is very refreshing to see in a film like this one.

Many fans and critics wondered how this film would do in the box office when the news came out that Warner Brothers had put together an all-female spinoff. There are only two notable roles in the film carried by men, both of them resulting in a short amount of screen time. Therefore, the whole film is held together by the fierce female cast. Although, critics, of course, questioned if the women would be able to carry a crime thriller/comedy like this one and make it just as charming and entertaining as Clooney had in the originals. I think this film’s outstanding numbers from just its first weekend in the box office, as well as its certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes score should contain the answers to these questions...

 The original “Ocean’s” trilogy is known for having a mostly male target audience, but Ocean’s 8” is the perfect mixture of a comedy, a drama, and a crime thriller, proving to already have a more inclusive target audience than the originals. In short, this means that everyone will love this movie, not just the men who loved the first three.

Hollywood is currently in the era of the “Time’s Up” movement, when amazing women are not only speaking out, but also being recognized every day for doing some extremely monumental things. It is safe to say that “Ocean’s 8” is just another monumental accomplishment in film to add to this collection of female accomplishments. 

This film could not have been released at a better time in this movement, proving its critics wrong and showing the world that this new film is just as great as the original flicks. In fact, the all-female version is way better. Yes, that was the third time in this review that I have said that, but I can no longer help it because it is absolutely true. If you don’t believe me, you will just have to go to the theater and see it for yourself.

All in all, “Ocean’s 8” is a wild ride and one of the summer’s best flicks. The movie’s tagline is "every con has its pros", but there is no con to be found within this glamorous reboot because it is truly that fantastic of a film. If you don’t believe me, you will just have to see it for yourself.