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.
