Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I found this one disappointing. The characters were hollow and never developed. I couldn't really get into any of them. We all knew the ending was 'they lived happily ever after' too early in the movie. And the beginning, when they tried to develop some sense of the characters, was boring. My wife dozed off a couple of times in the beginning.
Rating: 
Summary: A lightweight caper with brilliant chemistry
Review: After a runaway success with this year's heavyweight TRAFFIC, director Steven Soderbergh relaxes his pace with a hilarious take on the enjoyable caper, a remake on the 1960s Ocean's 11. It is in fact one that surpasses the original starring Rrank Sinatra and his Rat Pack pals - and part of the luminous glow attributes to Soderbergh's stylish directing and cinematography. The Las vegas glamour and casino burst in full glory with the cameras - consistent with the brilliance of the mega stardom. Danny Ocean played by the enigmatic George Clooney decides to erase criminal history with a heist on the casino tycoon Terry Benedict. He conjures up a plan to penetrate the 200 feet vault and ultimately the 150 million prize. Yet his motives run deeper - his ex wife played by Julia Roberts is now Terry's interest. Danny joins forces with a motley of swindlers and pickpockets - including Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell, Brad Pitt as Rusty - his sidekick, Don Cheadle with his British accent as a bomb expert, Shaobo Qin as a acrobat, Carl Reiner as an experienced hustler et al. Despite the first hour of the movie rounding up the characters, there is never a dull moment. That's where Soderbergh's storytelling confidence takes full fledge - each is with his distinctive personality; their rapport and chemistry has bolstered the good-natured fun. The plot remains outlandish with a slight twist or two, speckled with some smooth humour and sleek moves in the action department. This year's best heist thriller? It is an intelligent plot serviceable enough but not much powerhouse acting like THE SCORE. Ocean's 11 has no plans to outshine or compete - the mood is dexterously imbued to entertain the audience with some light fluff and clean fun. The competent directing and scripting robs away your mundane boredom to light you up with a smile.
Rating: 
Summary: Here's a brilliant idea...!
Review: This movie actually feels as though Clooney and Soderbergh had started with the premise -- Here's a brilliant idea! Let's do a movie about a guy who gets a bunch of specialists together to do a big heist! It's never been done before! Why didn't they have Sammy doing "E-O Eleven" on the soundtrack?
Rating:
Summary: Zing a ding!
Review: Soderbergh does a cool job here with his great cast, his eye for glitz, his polish, and his sense of indulgence for the audience, not himself. When George Clooney's Danny Ocean, a thief, is released from prison--wearing a tux that looked like it never wrinkled the whole time he was behind bars--he teams up with Brad Pitt (who's teaching young Hollywood celebrities how to play poker--ultra cool, dude), and then a whole team of other crackerjacks to take down Vegas' Bellagio casino, the repository of a cool $163 mil on the night of a big fight between Lenox Lewis and some other guy. The team includes an experienced con man altekakke (that's old guy to all youse who don't speak Yiddish), played by Carl Reiner; a short Chinese gymnast, a Cockney explosives expert (Basher, played by the amazingly talented Don Cheadle), two always-arguing younger thieves (Scott Caan in his best performance to date, and Casey Affleck); a high-tech computer nerd; an experienced puller (pickpocket) played by Matt Damon; an inside man (a croupier), and Elliot Gould's gay altekakke, the former owner of another casino taken over by Terry Benedict, the violent, really rich owner of a bunch of casinos. Here, Andy Garcia does a fine job. Julia Roberts as Tess, Danny Ocean's former wife, now hooked up with Benedict, is also on hand to supply the love interest, but it's really the comedy-laced interactions of the 11 and the snap, crackle, and razzle-dazzle of the heist plotting and execution that supply the fun. And fun is here--tons of it. The super sharp intricacies of the film--from Danny's initial assembling of the team to the final ambiguous ending--are a terrific pleasure. The music, too, by David Holmes, is as ultra cool as the movie--a perfect blend of trip hop and 50s jazz, it updates the feel of the original film to deliver just the right aural atmosphere for the dudes that go all out to rip off the man who stole Danny's wife and another dude's casino. A super treat, fellas and gals.
Rating: 
Summary: "Ocean's Eleven" is cool, hip, and hilarious!
Review: I saw "Ocean's Eleven" the day that it came to the theater, and I though that it was a really great film from the director of "Erin Brockovich", "Out of Sight", and "Traffic". This movie had just about everything...action, great storyline, and laughs. George Clooney was terrific as Danny Ocean, a recently released ex-con who decides that it's time to go back into the thieving business by stealing over $1 million from a luxurious Las Vegas casino. He and Rusty Ryan (played with excellence by Brad Pitt) plan it all out, etc. But how are they going to pull it all off? Get 9 other guys, of course! Among the 9 are Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, and Bernie Mac. Outstanding job from all of them. Andy Garcia, who plays the ruthless casino owner, Terry Benedict, was superb because I haven't seen Garcia act in a while, and this is kind of a comeback for him. And last, but not least, Julia Roberts. What do I think about Julia? Well...Julia was absolutely great as Tess, Clooney's ex-wife! In conclusion, "Ocean's Eleven" is slick, fast, and funny! This is George Clooney's best film since "Out of Sight". Brad Pitt's best film since "Meet Joe Black". Matt Damon's best film since "Good Will Hunting". Julia Roberts' best film since "Erin Brockovich" and "The Mexican". And Andy Garcia's best film since "Desperate Measures". "Ocean's Eleven" is, truly, one of the best action-comedies ever made in the year 2001. It is so hilarious, so hip, that you'll want to see it again and again!
Rating: 
Summary: Empty 11
Review: Extremely shallow and flat film. Where was the character development? The "crew" comes together so fast with almost no explanation. All the interaction between the characters is transparent and superficial. It seems that the director did this so that he could devote an inordinate amount of time to the technical aspects of the heist, which is a huge mistake. If you can't get to know and love (or hate) the characters first, what's the point? The Julia Roberts/Andy Garcia/George Clooney love triangle is forced at best as you never really understand why any of them likes/dislikes the other. And the ending is sappy and dopey, not coming anywhere close to the surprise sprung on us in the original. Overall, a dull film made aparently to showcase its hot stars and take advantage of the heist flick fad. Only techno-geeks would enjoy this one and even suggest it's as cool as the original.
Rating:
Summary: Stylish Crime
Review: The Usual Suspects, Pulp Fiction, Snatch just to mention a few are todays big movies. And why is that? Because of there since of style and wit to accompany the brillantly thoughtout heist plots. Ocean's Eleven (2001) is no exception to these classic rules. George Clooney takes the place of Frank Sinatra from the intial Oceans Eleven, and like Sinatra he brings his group of hoodlums a since of confidence and humor into an enviroment that should be too heavy for either. Brad Pitt has filled the huge shoes of the fast talking, fast thinking, and always drinking Dean Martin. A shoe that I for one was skeptical about Pitt being able to fill, however Pitt did a tremendous job dublicating how Dean would have done it. Pitt and Clooney were tremendous, however it didn't hurt that they were also surronded by a lot of todays more than famous and more than talented actors and actress. Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, and Julia Roberts brought their characters from so many years ago back to life.
Rating:
Summary: Julia Roberts What Were You Thinking???????
Review: Two issues here ..... as a major Julia Roberts fan, it is a shame to see her sell-out. How could she let herself be talked into a 'walk-on' role, surrounded by that much testosterone. She looked lovely, and that was all... a strong non-verbal statement about the value of women everywhere. We count on her for better than that. Then, if the talk shows are true, she demanded the standard $20 million for the "work". Bad call. The story is an interesting one and could have been fast moving and entertaining with all that star power. But there was no focus, other than the stars, even the soundtrack was a cop-out. How insulting to viewers who actually thought we would be getting something for our movie ticket. I suppose it proves that I am not much of a viewer. They were right....one can make a lousy movie and if the superficial elements look right, we will go and pay to see the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Slick but Flatter than 10-year old Soda.
Review: This movie works incredibly hard to be slick. The problem is...it has no substance or entertainment...no story, and the plot could have been made up by some dull-witted 4th graders. As my tennis partner said, the eye candy made her forget there was no plot...but puh-lease...Clooney and Pitt are getting too old and pockmarked, respectively, to rely on their looks. Even the so-called clever lines aren't very clever. Someone clearly worked on this script with very little heart involved. The directing...(sorry Mr. Soderbergh, this one was a dud) was AWFUL...there was no chemistry from scene to scene and was just a series of watching a lot of dorks bungling things...with Julia Roberts sprinkled in as the supposed impetus for this particular scheme. Now that I've learned the actors are getting a cut of the interests I understand why Julia Roberts is selling out in interviews with lines like "the most intriguing role I've ever done". Someone pick Julia's dignity back up off the floor. The male bonding at the end of the film is taken to a pathetic extreme and must be embarrassing for the actors to watch. The only interesting things in this movie were Andy Garcia's and the fabulous suits Brad Pitt got to sport...ok, and that scene with Matt Damon and Bernie Mac was funny. But definitely not worth suffering 2 hours for it. [...]
Rating:
Summary: "One Louder" than your average caper flick
Review: "Ocean's Eleven" makes a deal with you. It asks you to promise not to notice the plot holes and inconsequentiality that runs through its labyrinthine narrative. In return, it offers more star-wattage in one sitting than any five other blockbusters combined. For the most part, I'd say, it's a fair trade. For the most part. The film doesn't live up to this deal in several ways. First, we get some pretty silly casting choices. Matt Damon is a complete waste. Didn't he write "Good Will Hunting" to get out of playing underwritten cardboard parts like this? Julia Roberts (She's called Tess, as in Tess Trueheart. You must be joking) is not the least bit sexy, desirable, or tough enough to be caught in a love triangle with two very vital men. Andy Garcia, as one of those vital men, is not as vital as he could have been. Nor is he as menacing a badass as the movie would have you believe. They tried to tell me that anyone caught robbing his Casino would be in for a world of pain. Well, you don't scare me just by telling me. Film is a visual medium. Show me! And Steven Soderbergh, well, he's always been hit or miss in my books. "Out of Sight" was enjoyable, and the one film in his oeuvre that would lead you to believe he could direct "Ocean's Eleven" capably. But Soderbergh does what he always does: he gets in the way too much. Too much needless visual style, which does nothing to advance the plot, or keep you interested. Why can't you just let your movies breath, Stevie? Oh, and check out the awshucks fountain ending he tacks on. Blech. I suppose one could read the above bile-filled paragraph and come to the conclusion that I didn't like the movie. Well, you'd be wrong. I liked it a lot. And now I'll tell you why. It gives us some cool dudes who have serious chemistry together. Bernie Mac is underused, but shines as an Atlantic City dealer/con man finally given a shot at the big score. Don Cheadle has a ridiculous cockneyfied accent, but is entertaining nonetheless. His character, a munitions expert named Basher (natch!), even manages to throw in a bit of rhyming slang. Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould do their best to show the rest of these young whippersnappers how to chew scenery with style. Reiner looks like he should be living out his golden years in Florida, but still has the strength and will to be a vital con man. Gould couldn't look tackier (bushels of gold chains compete with abundant fur for space on his exposed chest), but he chomps on his cigars and delivers his lines with the gusto of a true pro. And there are a couple of other guys in the cast who also deserve a mention. Such as... Clooney and Pitt. Pitt and Clooney. They're asked to replace Sinatra and Dino from the original "Ocean's", and do so with style and cool to spare. George rarely breaks a sweat, relying on his considerable charm (the mega-star's stock in trade) to carry him through the picture. Even in the face of danger, he's always having a good time. Brad is more low-key, the Vladimir to George's Estragon. He begins the film as a bored card sharp, teaching poker techniques to bratty young Hollywood actors (Topher Grace gets mobbed for autographs, while Brad Pitt is left alone to ponder his existence? What a wonderful parallel universe we've stumbled on, here...). But when things get going later on, it's Pitt who leads the way, having more fun than anyone. And they both have such fun wearing a variety of super cool clothes. George even leaves a four-year prison term wearing his tuxedo, tie left dangling around his neck, as if he's just come from a long night of gambling rather than a spell in the clink. Brad is not to be outdone. He has more costume changes than Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra". Male vanity, when done right, can be highly entertaining. These two actors, who I've always enjoyed in a variety of other roles ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Seven", and "Fight Club" come quickly to mind), team up wonderfully here. Neither one steps on the other's shining moments, and when they have to work together, their chemistry is just right. More of Clooney and Pitt (or should it be Pitt and Clooney?) in the future, and I'll be a happy film fan. You can't possibly go into this film expecting anything more than a glitzy style parade. But as glitzy style parades go, this is one of the best. It's entertaining, and that is the bottom line.
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