What Do The Critics Say?

"It’s not as good as the first, better than the second and in terms of the long list of 2007 summertime threes better looking than Shrek the Third, less convoluted than Pirates 3 and as satisfying as Spider-Man 3." Richard Horgan FILMSTEW "It's probably not 'better' than the first movie, but I'll predict those who found the second one lacking will applaud the return to form." Jeffrey Chen REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS "an airy entertainment that has the smarts to add a second, unexpected swindle that is more satisfying than the main event. the gang's back in Vegas, where they belong and in figuring out how to undermine the house's odds. Pacino is given a role to sink his teeth into. " Laura Clifford REELING REVIEWS "Like James Bond movies, it's not about the reality of the situation but the fun you have watching it." Kevin Carr 7M PICTURES "Clooney and friends are back for another heist romp that's refreshingly free from the pretentiousness of most starry Hollywood movies. Sure, it couldn't be much more self-indulgent, but the fun is infectious. Soderbergh assembles the film with an effortless sheen, groovy editing, a purring song score and some astonishingly seamless digital effects. But it's all about the simple joy of the scam, the cheeky camaraderie of the characters and the gleeful satisfaction of seeing a true baddie get his just desserts. No, there's nothing else to it. And that feels just right." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Soderbergh and company have said this is the last Ocean's film, and it should be - they finally got it right. Anything that comes after will only tarnish the cocktail hour perfection of this movie." Devin Faraci CHUD

"Thirteen is definitely a lucky number as Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and gang return to Sin City to take us on the coolest Ocean's voyage yet. This one hits the jackpot as a sleek and stylish caper flick even Sinatra himself would have loved." Pete Hammond MAXIM "one of those bright, shiny things that delights us as if we were simple babies. If you don't believe me, watch how it will even make some women drool." Josh Larsen SUN PUBLICATIONS "The gang's back in Vegas, and back in top form." Sean Means SALT LAKE TRIBUNE "If this is the final Ocean's movie, saving the best for last is a wonderful way to go out." Pam Grady REEL COM "The action starts with the opening scene so there’s never a chance for it to slow down." Cole Haddon ORLANDO WEEKLY "As smooth as a good mojito, as stylish as an Armani suit and as meaningful in the grand scheme of things as yesterday's Las Vegas betting odds, Ocean's Thirteen continues the breezy good times of the first two series entries without missing a beat. With George, Brad, Matt and the rest pulling another ultra-cool con without breaking a sweat, and with Al Pacino ideal as their new nemesis, Warner Bros. can bet on cashing in for yet another franchise payday." Todd McCarthy VARIETY

The Inside Story After the reception "Ocean's Twelve" received from critics and cinemagoers, many feared that we may have seen the end of Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Gould and the rest of the gang. Thankfully, director Steven Soderbergh was one jump ahead of the pack. "We were just finishing the second film, and I thought it would be fun to go back to Las Vegas for the next one. In large part, the film was motivated by everyone wanting to work together again. But it was always with the understanding that it had to be 'all in' or we were not doing it; everybody comes back or nobody comes back," says Soderbergh. In the ensuing six years that have passed since the they made the first film much has changed according to producer Jerry Weintraub, who plays Denny Shields in the film. "In the six years since we did the first film, people’s lives have changed. Not only are these actors all in demand, they have families and babies and new interests that had to be taken into consideration. The truth is, you can’t get this large a production together unless everybody is willing to throw his hat into the ring. I also gave them fair warning. I called everyone eighteen months before and said, 'We’re making this picture in the summer of 2006. Get ready; we’re coming at you.' And once I told them that, they knew it would happen." Weintraub wasn't just refering to the film’s cast, but also to the man at the helm. "For me, as a producer, there’s Steven Soderbergh and then there’s everybody else. In everything we have done together, we have a wonderful partnership. Any accolade that can be said about the guy, he lives up to. He is simply great," Weintraub notes. The man who plays Danny Ocean has another view. "The truth is that Steven is the creative force of these movies, but Jerry Weintraub is the heart and soul of the 'Ocean's' films, period. You have to keep in mind that getting all these guys together isn’t easy; not that we don’t want to, but it’s very hard to pull everybody’s schedules together because we’ve all got different gigs. To find one period of time when everyone is available is tricky, and only Jerry could make it happen. He understands how to do it," says Clooney. So how does he do it? Clooney's answer is, "he uses guilt." And how does Soderbergh see his merry band of men. "I have always embraced the idea that these guys are thieves and con men," Soderbergh acknowledges, "but they’re not entirely driven by money. Certainly, in this case, they are driven by friendship and revenge. The 'all for one and one for all' ethos dictates that when one of them is betrayed; especially in the way that their friend Reuben was betrayed; it’s payback time. It seemed like a strong premise." This time round, the filmmakers chose the writing team of Brian Koppelman and David Levien to craft the script. They have done an excellent job of it. "Brian and David had written 'Rounders', a drama about friendship and poker that I loved," Weintraub says. "I spoke to Steven about them, and when we all met, Steven and I knew they were the guys to write this movie." And how did the guys get the writing job? "There was not a long list of people that we thought could step into this specific universe and pick up the language and the sense of humor. Brian and David got it at once. I met them for lunch and within minutes we were starting to work on the script. It really is in their wheelhouse; they like these kinds of movies and these kinds of characters," says Soderbergh. "In a way, David and I have been preparing to write this movie for most of our lives," Brian Koppelman declared. "We have spent a lot of years exploring the culture of Las Vegas and the gambling lifestyle. We read every book about con artists and thieves that we could get our hands on. So, when we met with Steven, we talked to him about the great con movies, about the nature of heists, and about how these characters have evolved since the first movie, which David and I both loved. Right away, we were all talking the same language." "One thing that makes a con movie work is how much you care about the people who are perpetrating the con and how much you want the mark to be taken down," David Levien notes. "Thirteen is all about friendship, which was a great jumping-off point for the movie. We love these characters and know how much they mean to each other. It’s not just a heist for the sake of it." "It’s a charitable heist, if you will," says Andy Garcia. "It shows the kind of friends they are, and I think that’s something an audience can get behind right away." Don Cheadle, who plays Cockney engineer Basher Tarr, remarked, "They’re doing it for all the right reasons, which means there’s no money in it for them. But I guess altruism has its place, even in thievery." "The idea was to 'flip' the casino so that the patrons would win every time, which would spell disaster for Bank. It’s also great wish fulfillment for anyone who’s ever been to a casino," Koppelman explained. "They’re not stealing anything; they’re letting everybody else rake it in. You could say they’re helping Bank give it away," says Clooney. "It’s great to be around a table that’s hot: like a craps table when people are winning. When you’re around one that’s on fire, the place just explodes. To have a whole casino on fire is everybody’s fantasy," Clooney said. For Matt Damon, who plays Linus Caldwell, it's a change of pace. His character becomes 'romantically involved' with Ms Sponder, played by Ellen Barkin. "I finally got the love interest in one of these movies," Damon says. Andy Garcia is back as Terry Benedict. His role too has a twist. "Terry is not happy about Willy Bank's new hotel. It’s not that it’s bigger or better than his; it shadows his pool. Terry is very proud of his pool. In some ways, Terry Benedict and Willy Bank are cut from the same cloth; they made their fortunes in a similar way and they’ve been longtime rivals," Garcia offers. "People really love Andy in this character, so, if we were going back to Vegas, Terry had to be in the mix somewhere," says the director. "I think we came up with a fun and unexpected way to involve him." Real life Chinese acrobat Shaobo Qin finally gets to live the high life out in the open as an enigmatic Chinese real estate magnate named Mr Weng. "My role in the first and second movies was a lot easier because it was more physical and the acrobatics come naturally to me. This film was much harder because I had to learn a lot more lines," Quin revealed. The catalyst for the storyline in "Ocean's Thirteen" is provided by two characters: Reuben Tishkoff and Willy Bank. "Reuben has always been an anchor for the group, but he has been in some degree of denial about a newer and younger breed running the show. He’s been hungry to get back into the action, so even though Danny warned him very emphatically not to get involved with Willy Bank, Reuben wouldn’t listen. he thought he could trust Willy just because they both shook Frank Sinatra’s hand. He still believes there is a code between people who go back far enough to have shaken Ol’ Blue Eyes’ hand, so he wasn’t prepared for Willy to be so cutthroat and unscrupulous," says 1970 "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" Oscar nominee, Elloitt Gould. Reuben's protagonist is played by one of the most acclaimed actors of our time, eight time Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild of America, Independent Spirit Award and 1973 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award winner, Al Pacino. "We had worked together years ago, and he’s an old friend of mine. He’s such a great actor and he fit right into the mix," says Weintraub. For the Obie, Tony and Cecil B DeMille Award winner it was his first collaboration with Soderbergh. "I don’t think there is any filmmaker, certainly not one from my generation, who doesn’t admire Al Pacino and wouldn’t want the opportunity to work with him," Soderbergh said. "For the role of Willy Bank, we needed somebody with enough power onscreen to come across as a threat to these guys. That’s a very short list." Pacino obviously enjoyed the experience. "It was a great experience working with Steven," he remarked. "He makes scenes come alive for you, which is one of the things great directors do. He creates a certain ambience on the set, a feeling of comfort that frees you up as an actor." The only woman in the main cast is Ellen Barkin, who plays Bank's right-hand woman Abigail Sponder. Cinemagoers will remember her as Helen Cruger in the 1989 film "Sea Of Love" in which she co-starred with Pacino. "Ellen actually had a scene in "Ocean’s Twelve", but it ended up being cut out of the movie, so I owed her one," says Soderbergh. "Actually, her scene was with Matt and it involved sexual tension, so when we were thinking of who should play Ms Sponder, it was an easy call." Barkin says, "It’s fun to do comedy. It’s especially fun with somebody as inventive and spontaneous and quick as Matt is. We had a great rapport on the set." "Ocean’s Thirteen" is glitzy, glamourous, exciting, and has a few surprises. And, it's definately a return to the winning formula of the original film. Synopsis

Danny Ocean and the gang would have only one reason to pull off their most ambitious and riskiest casino heist, to defend one of their own. But they’re going to need more than luck on their side to break The Bank. Ruthless casino owner Willy Bank never imagined that the odds were against him when he double-crossed Danny Ocean’s friend and mentor Reuben Tishkoff, putting the distraught Reuben in a hospital bed in critical condition after a heart attack. The dirty double crossing Bank has miscalculated. Badly. He may have taken down one of the original Ocean’s eleven, but he left the others standing and, worse for him, gave them a shared purpose: to take Bank down on the night of what should be his greatest triumph, the grand opening of his new casino, aptly named 'The Bank'. The plan is elaborate, dangerous and damn near impossible. Can Danny and the boys pull this one off?

The Verdict "I for one am very happy that the 'final' Ocean's film recaptures the spirit of "Ocean's Eleven" and is every bit as entertaining as the original. Like the first, this is a generous film. The characters are easy to bond with, it's bright and breezey, the film has plenty of heart and more importantly, "Ocean's Thirteen" is damn good fun to watch. This time round the cast is joined by Academy Award winner Al Pacino who plays the super cool, double crossing Casino magnate Willy Bank. Willy is a total arsehole, a heartless bastard and a dirty rotten cheat who deserves to be taken down. From the moment he appears on the screen you just can't wait to see Ocean's team cut him down to size. If only "Ocean's Twelve" had been this good. We'd probably have been waiting excitedly for an fourth film. It's glitzy, it's brash, it's glamorous and it has 'the smarts'. So sit down, settle into your cinema seat and soak it all in. Soderbergh and his team have redeemed themselves. Excellent soundtrack from David Holmes. Very recommmended. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "OCEANS THIRTEEN" stars .......
2006 Academy Award winner George Clooney ["The Perfect Storm", "Welcome to Collinwood", "Good Night, and Good Luck", "Syriana" and "The Good German"]; 1996 Saturn and Golden Globe Awards winner Brad Pitt ["Twelve Monkeys", "The Mexican", "Mr & Mrs Smith" and "Babel"]; 2005 Empire Award and Academy AwardAcademy Award winner Matt Damon ["Good Will Hunting", "The Bourne Identity", "The Departed" and "The Good Shepherd"]; 1971 Golden Laurel Award winner Elliott Gould ["Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", "MASH", "The Long Goodbye" and "Capricorn One"]; Eddie Izzard ["The Cat's Meow", "Ocean's Twelve" and "My Super Ex-Girlfriend"]; 1998 Emmy Award winner Ellen Barkin ["The Fan", "Drop Dead Gorgeous", "Strip Search" and "Trust the Man"] and 1993 Academy Award winner Al Pacino ["Scent of a Woman", "Carlito's Way", "Donnie Brasco", "Any Given Sunday" and "Insomnia"] as Willy Bank.
"OCEANS THIRTEEN" was .......
directed by 2001 Academy Award & 1990 Independent Spirit Award winner Steven Soderbergh ["The Limey", "Traffic", "Ocean's Eleven" and "The Good German"]; screenplay by Brian Koppelman ["Rounders", "Knockaround Guys", "Runaway Jury" and "Walking Tall"] and David Levien ["Rounders", "Knockaround Guys", "Runaway Jury" and "Walking Tall"]; casting by 2000 & 2001 Artios Award and 2004 Hollywood Film Festival Casting Director of the Year Award winnerc Debra Zane ["K-PAX", "Catch Me If You Can", "Seabiscuit", "Ocean's 11, 12 & 13", "Fun with Dick and Jane" and "Dreamgirls"]; costume design by three time Costume Designers Guild Award nominee Louise Frogley ["Man on Fire", "Traffic", "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Syriana"]; production design by Philip Messina ["Erin Brockovich", "8 Mile", "Ocean's 11, 12 & 13" and "The Good German"]; edited by 2001 Academy Award winner Stephen Mirrione ["Swingers", "Good Night, and Good Luck", "Ocean's 11, 12 & 13" and "Babel"]; cinematography by Steven Soderbergh ["Traffic", "Full Frontal", "Solaris" and "Eros"]; original music by David Holmes [Buffalo Soldiers", "Ocean's Eleven", "Analyze That" and "Ocean's Twelve"]; produced by Jerry Weintraub ["Nashville", "National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation" and "Ocean's 11, 12 & 13"]. Who's Who?

Brad Pitt George Clooney Matt Damon Elliott Gould Eddie Jemison Don Cheadle Shaobo Qin Casey Affleck Scott Caan Bernie Mac Carl Reiner Eddie Izzard Ellen Barkin Al Pacino Andy Garcia Michael Mantell Ray Xifo

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Rusty Ryan Danny Ocean Linus Caldwell/Lenny Pepperidge Reuben Tishkoff Livingston Dell Basher Tarr/Fender Roads Yen/Mr. Weng Virgil Malloy Turk Malloy Frank Catton Saul Bloom/Kensington Chubb Roman Nagel Abigail Sponder Willie Bank Terry Benedict Dr Stan Reuben’s Butler

Run Time 122 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.