Ocean's Trilogy 4-Disc Box Set [DVD] [2001]

Ocean’s Eleven is the best of the trilogy, and also superior to the original Rat Pack film that it’s a remake of. Here, we’re introduced for the first time to Daniel Ocean (George Clooney, who effortlessly charms his way through all three films with real style) and his group of fellow cons (including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon) as they try and pull off a daring casino heist. It’s a thrilling, immaculately packaged slice of Hollywood entertainment, and easily stands up to repeated viewings.

The first sequel, Ocean’s Twelve, is a mess though. The first half sets things up nicely, introducing further themes of competition and revenge, but it then pulls a blistering stupid plot device around half way through and never recovers. There’s still plenty to enjoy, but it’s a real missed opportunity.

Ocean’s Thirteen finds the gang in much finer form though, and the addition of Al Pacino to the roster as the new villain of the piece does it no harm whatsoever. The focus is back onto a single job, and while it’s light on twists, it’s still a breezy caper that’s hard not to warm to.

Packed with big name stars, and directed on the whole with real skill by Steven Soderbergh, the Ocean’s Trilogy is--the middle film excepted--testament to just how much fun watching movie stars doing their thing can be. A boxset well worth investing in. --Simon Brew

DVD Description
This special trilogy box set comprises Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, plus a bonus fourth disc that features "Masters Of The Heist" -- a 45-minute featurette only available on standard definition DVD within the Ocean's Trilogy Complete Collection. It takes a playful look at some of the world’s most artfully planned (and seriously profitable) real life heists that are every bit as sophisticated and intricate as the jobs pulled off by Danny Ocean and his gang in the Ocean’s film series.
Through interviews with startled security officers, determined FBI agents, duped employees, reporters and true crime historians you’ll find out about the largest unsolved art theft in history. You’ll follow the exploits of a group of MIT students who managed to dupe Las Vegas – legally – until they were banned. Learn about the investment scam that netted $2.5 billion and broke the back of several banks in the US and Europe. And finally, encounter Doris Payne, one of the smoothest and most prolific jewel thieves ever to ask, "Can I try that on?"

As for the films themselves, expect a combination of heist hijinks, movie star glamour and the exuberant filmmaking skill of director Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight, The Limey). An initial team of eleven thieves (including the glossy mugs of Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, and Don Cheadle) are soon joined by the guy they robbed in the first film (silky Andy Garcia), and along the way also encounter a top-notch detective (plush Catherine Zeta-Jones) and a jealous master thief (well-oiled Vincent Cassel) who wants to prove that team leader Danny Ocean (dapper George Clooney) isn't the best in the field. As if all that star power weren't enough, the eternally coltish Julia Roberts also pops up as Ocean's wife--another movie star cameo that raises the movie's combined wattage to absurd proportions! But all these handsome faces are matched by Soderbergh's visual flash, cunning editing, and excellent use of Amsterdam, Paris, and Rome, among other highly decorative locations. The whole affair should collapse under the weight of its own silliness, but somehow it doesn't--the movie's raffish spirit and offhand wit combine in a film that's as smooth as a silk suit and just as stylish.

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