Considering that they share various similarities, it's surprising that Hollywood and Vegas aren't bedfellows more often than they already are. After all, both feature high rollers taking risks -- gambling in one way or another -- in hopes of making more money to replace and then build on what's already been put in play. And neither the real gamblers nor their moviemaking brethren can ever be certain if that's going to happen.
Of course, movie studios and filmmakers can somewhat hedge their bets by making sequels, figuring and hoping that those who liked the original film will plunk down their money to see another telling of the tale. When a sequel isn't as good or at least as entertaining as its predecessor, however, the gamble is heightened as it's unclear whether moviegoers will risk playing one more hand for fear of "losing" again.
Considering that 2004's "Ocean's Twelve" wasn't as highly regarded or received as the original film, 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" (a remake of the 1960 film of the same name), offering a third film of the same hand, that being "Ocean's Thirteen," would seem to be something of a cinematic crapshoot.
A bit better than the first sequel but nowhere as enjoyable or entertaining as the "original" film (the 2001 version), this flick reunites most of the cast and crew from the earlier rounds to deliver more of the same old, same old. And that may indeed be one of its biggest flaws -- lack of novelty and too much familiarity.
The fun of the first film was in the setup -- the introduction of the various characters and then director Steven Soderbergh mixing them together -- and then the execution of their ploy. Coupled with a winking, devil-may-care attitude, hip aura, terrific chemistry, and a great ensemble cast, "Eleven" was the epitome of a perfectly mindless but slickly engaging diversion.
The sequel, however, was lacking in the same amounts of novelty, charm, and sheer entertainment and felt too labored and conscious of what it was trying to be. Working with screenwriters Brian Koppelman & David Levien, Soderbergh this time tries to recapture the fun the first film so effortlessly exuded. While it works at times, particularly once the game has been set in motion (meaning the third act), it still lacks the original pic's sizzle and infectious sense of humor.
It also suffers from having too many characters and not enough time or material to warrant all of their existences, just like last time. While Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones are nowhere to be seen (early on, the title character is heard saying this isn't their fight, thus barely explaining their absences), there are various new introductions.
They include Al Pacino as yet another casino owner to foil, and Ellen Barkin as his cleavage-happy assistant (alas, no hot-blooded chemistry exists between the two considering this is their first reunion since heating up the screen in "Sea of Love" a while back). Eddie Izzard plays what seems to be a new addition to the Ocean's team who thereafter pretty much disappears from sight, and David Paymer is a diamond-ranking hotel reviewer who ends up suffering from unknowingly getting caught up in the scheme as its gears start turning.
The latter is presumably present as some form of subplot comedy, but the filmmakers aren't creative enough in such terms to make the addition worthwhile. Having already dealt two hands featuring Andy Garcia as the casino boss to be bested, the filmmakers turn to Pacino who thankfully doesn't go overboard with dramatics. Unfortunately, he doesn't ever end up feeling like much more than a cousin to Garcia's character who does return for a handful of scenes that similarly don't amount to much.
Barkin gets what turns out to be a more substantial role than it initially appears -- she becomes lustfully worked up over Matt Damon's subterfuge character (thanks to some visualized pheromones and a tacked on proboscis named "The Brody" -- paging Adrien, paging Adrien), but this similarly fails to be as entertaining as presumably believed when it was conceived.
The film works best when George Clooney and Brad Pitt do their familiar repertoire thing, easily picking up where they left off in terms of comfortable chemistry between the two. The others -- including Carl Reiner, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Elliot Gould, and the rest -- return for roles that vary in terms of things to occupy them. Yet, just as was the case with the first sequel, some of them feel like extra baggage now that their introductions have long since come and gone.
A bit better than the last time around, the film has its share of amusing and/or entertaining moments. Yet, and not surprisingly, it isn't as good or enjoyable as the first pic, which should have remained as a standalone feature. But that's not what Hollywood's all about, and anyone who bet against one or more sequels obviously lost their shirt. Easy enough to watch but simply missing the original's one-time magic, "Ocean's Thirteen" rates as a 6 out of 10.
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