Today’s quick review: Ocean’s 11. Danny Ocean (Frank Sinatra) and Jimmy Foster (Peter Lawford) round up nine more of their Army buddies, including Sam Harmon (Dean Martin) and Josh Howard (Sammy Davis, Jr.), for a daring criminal enterprise. The plan is to rob five Las Vegas casinos at the same time, just after midnight on New Year’s, by using a blackout as cover. But the real challenge will be getting the money out of Vegas once they have it.
Ocean’s 11 is a crime movie with an ensemble cast. The Rat Pack unites as a group of World War II veterans with a scheme that’s worth a fortune. The movie features a motley cast of thieves, a classic soundtrack, and decent banter. However, its long setup, brief heist, and limited payoff keep Ocean’s 11 from living up to its full potential. Rather than its plot, the film has to rely on characters that are not quite strong enough to carry it.
Ocean’s 11 takes a while to get going. Danny Ocean spends the first forty minutes of the movie just assembling his crew, and with one or two exceptions, the characters aren’t distinctive enough to justify the wait. The leads have a fun dynamic between them that comes through intermittently, but their dialogue can be hard to follow, thanks to their breezy speaking style, a proliferation of characters, and minimal exposition to get the viewer started.
The heist has a few interesting ideas, but in the end there isn’t much to it. The plot has a tendency to drift, first as the movie introduces its cast and later on as the gang deals with the aftermath of their attempted robbery. One or two of the subplots do end up mattering, but others, such as Danny’s patchy relationship with his wife (Angie Dickinson), are dropped without ceremony. The result is a somewhat underwhelming heist story.
Watch Ocean’s 11 when you’re in the mood for an old-school crime movie with a strong cast. Its execution leaves something to be desired, both as a heist movie and a nominal comedy, but fans of the actors may appreciate its style. Modern audiences will be better off with the remake starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, which features a better plot and funnier dialogue. For a heist comedy with more heart, try the original Going in Style.
6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a solid cast and a decent premise held back by a weak plot.