Despite the large ensemble casts, Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven franchise rested on the rascally comedic interplay of George Clooney and Brad Pitt as the heist ringleaders; Sandra Bullock keeps up her end of the bargain in this gender-inverted reboot, but icy Cate Blanchett seems lost as her criminal sidekick. Among their crew, who aim to steal a $150 million necklace during the Met Ball, are Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Awkafina, Mindy Kaling, and Helena Bonham Carter. Director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games), who wrote the story and collaborated with Olivia Milch on the screenplay, closely follows the Soderbergh formula of wry humor, nimble plotting, and wall-to-wall bass riffs. With Anne Hathaway and Dakota Fanning; a cameo from Matt Damon, the perennial chump in the Eleven movies, wound up on the cutting room floor, which is a pretty good gag if you think about it.
Ocean’s 8
PG-13 • 1 hour 50 min • 2018
