Ocean's 8 [Blu-ray] [2018]

Very early in this spin-off of director Steven Soderbergh's trilogy of movies about George Clooney's ultra-smooth, ultra-smart thief we are introduced to what is and arguably always has been the most fascinating thing about these movies not to mention heist and/or crime dramas in general. This being the fact that the type of people who find themselves in such scenarios have enough self-confidence and charisma to be able to pull-off whatever facade they wish to carry. It's not about what you may or may not be hiding on the inside or what you know about yourself that you believe everyone who sees you immediately assumes as well, but more it is utilizing your appearance, age, and swagger (or lack thereof) to allow those who see you to make those first, quick assumptions only for you to then deliver upon them so as they don't think about you again. It is an awareness of sorts that Clooney's character never fully utilized, he was always the cool guy in the nice suit, but it is almost immediately that his sister, Debbie Ocean, as played by Sandra Bullock utilizes this tool. And then she uses it again. And again. If her character's tastes weren't so expensive she could make a fine enough living as a salesperson given the way she is able to adapt to and go with whatever environment she finds herself in and whatever people she finds herself in front of, but this is a movie that is meant to both continue the Ocean's legacy while expanding on the diversification of those gender and ethnic gaps that are being actively addressed in Hollywood as of late. Whether you are in support of this or moronically opposed for one reason or another this agenda doesn't really factor into the execution of the film save for one very pointed line of dialogue that is delivered in such a fashion so as to provide reasoning if not necessarily a justification for this movie's existence. Whether this was an Ocean's movie or not though, what gives the film its pulse is this throughline idea of knowing how to interact with people by scanning them upon meeting them and figuring out what type of person they want in their life and immediately becoming that person. Bullock and a few of her co-stars are able to explore this in a few different ways, but it is mostly Bullock who presents a surprisingly layered approach to this train of thought as we see her Debbie battle with how long such a lifestyle can remain exciting as masked by intentions of justice and vengeance. It's a shame the movie itself doesn't follow through on these instincts as the movie Bullock presents us with and allows us to assume Ocean's 8 might become is far more fascinating than the fun, but ultimately derivative one it ends up being.

Gary Ross’s “Ocean’s 8” follows Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney), who’s revealed to have died sometime since the events of “Ocean’s Thirteen.” The cast further includes Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Armitage, and James Corden. In a connection to the previous trilogy of films, Elliott Gould and Qin Shaobo reprise their roles as Reuben Tishkoff and The Amazing Yen. At one point, Bonham Carter claims the Eskimo put their elders out on an ice floe in a callback to “Ocean’s Twelve.” The film moves from the glitz and glam of Las Vegas to the equally glamorous world of art, history, and fashion in New York City, where the 8 plan to steal the diamonds from a famous necklace from Cartier at the Met Gala. The new cast are all fantastic additions to the franchise, with Blanchett, Rihanna, and Carter standing out as the most interesting in this narrative. The others are certainly fun and Ross shows the audience their motivation, but they don’t have quite the same consistent development through the film, which is okay as this is an ensemble heist film. In their respective roles as the mark and the insurance investigator, Hathaway and Corden are equally interesting and offer a nice change from the usual casino bosses in the earlier films. “Ocean’s 8” is a worthy addition to the franchise and, perhaps most important for a spin-off, it successfully stands alone as its own heist film. Think of the standalone Marvel films that may include some references to others in the franchise, but can be enjoyed on their own merits. The story is smart, original, and updates the heist to reflect the technology of today. Hopefully the studio supports more so that the franchise can continue.

I loved the original Ocean movies (George Clooney), and when I heard that a new movie was coming out with an all female cast, I was on board. Besides the heist, part of what makes this movie enjoyable is the cast. The Ocean movies, even the original movie have always been great with combining Hollywood's A-listers, B-listers, and upcoming stars, and Ocean's 8 is no exception. Personally, one of the issues I have with the movie one of the plot twist. It's fairly obvious if you paid attention, and when revealed it almost comes off as a deus ex machina. Overall, Ocean's 8 is enjoyable, and I would not mind seeing a sequel.

I really enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed the others in the series, too. This time they added a relation to the Ocean family, Sandra Bullocks character. The plot, while over the top, was fun. I enjoyed the few twists, though much was predictable. It was the incredible cast of great actors who had fantastic chemistry that pulled off this movie & the heist. I don’t watch movies over often, but thee was enough going on that I think I would watch this again. I particularly loved Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Sarah Paulson’s characters and their acting. Fun, Sassy. Smart. Worth watching!

I really enjoyed this movie and that's what surprises me. I have watched and am a fan of the original Ocean 11 & 13. Ocean 12 is not as good as 11 & 13. This movie seemed to have a lot of negative feedback initially due to the all new women cast and I honestly don't understand why. I missed the movie in theaters so I decided to rent it from redbox. I liked the movie so much that I purchased it and rewatched it - this time in 4k UHD which makes the experience even better. Movie is very well made and enjoyable. Would recommend the 4k UHD experience since it looks beautiful in HDR.

After about eleven years since the last Ocean's movie, I was excited yet tentative about watching this film. If past experience is any indication, sequel films after a long absence tend to fair less better than its predecessors. I was pleasantly surprised after seeing this movie. It had a slow start but had an good story line with a great cast of female actors. It did a good job of connecting with the previous "Ocean's" characters without deviating from the story. Any fan of the Ocean's films should give this film a chance.

I can appreciate an attempt to duplicate the charm and comedic timing of all the previous Oveans movies however, this one falls short and it has nothing to do with the brilliant ensemble of female actresses. From the beginning of the movie, it failed to capture the mystique and the charm of these clever crooks. I was disappointed The movie had its moments but it did not reach the level of comedic timing and chemistry that the prior Oceans movies possessed!

I’m a huge fan of the Oceans 11/12/13 movies and was pretty excited for this addition to the lineup. Perhaps I was a bit overexcited... I found the movie progressing either too quickly, or too slowly, with the story lacking substance or focusing too much on meaningless details. Character and plot development were a bit lacking and I found myself easily distracted throughout the entire film. I may give it another shot later, but for now, it gets 2 stars.