OCEAN’S 8 Nailed it, bailed it or failed it? Let’s play!
Writing: BAILED IT The script stays true to the earlier films in the franchise, with a broad cast of diverse characters, a plot similar to Ocean’s 11, a highly implausible mega-heist and some clever twists and turns before the end credits. This time most of it has been dipped in a fashionable, elegant coat of female paint. Much of the dialogue and humour is so strongly targeted at female audiences it actually became difficult for me to fully enjoy it all. Most of the scenes outside of the actual heist aren’t really that interesting at all and much of the main plot itself lacks dramatic tension: things happen too easily, the twists are predictable and there is a lack of a compelling villain. Even if the decision to continue the film a while after the heist is a great one, it also feels quite empty and flat in its final moments. The main twist is quite implausible.
Characters and Acting: NAILED IT! Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett actually make for a better dynamic duo than Clooney and Pitt in the original films. Together with the loveable Helena Bonham Carter, they steal the show. The cast is diverse, and each character feels like a real person. They all have special talents suitable to the world today, which also gives the film a modern feel. I like the fact that the film puts focus on one small step of the operation at a time, before moving on to the big heist. This way, it puts focus on one or two different characters at a time and give suitable screen-time to all of them. Even if the film does a fine job at making every character stand out on their own, it struggles to make them a believable team together and many of the characters are quite simple. James Corden, a talented comedian, feels completely misplaced in this film and his part could have easily been left out.
Direction: NAILED IT! It largely works, with director Gary Ross clearly knowing what he wants his film to be, even if the film loses its sense of direction in the final 20 minutes.
Visuals: NAILED IT! It’s as slick as always and it harks back to the original films with the playful editing and the interesting choice of angles.
Sound: BAILED IT! Another connection with the first three films, Daniel Pemberton brings back that hectic, loud and annoying score I disliked in all of the earlier films.
Pacing: BAILED IT! It starts out strong and the heist itself is very exciting to watch from start to finish. It’s what happens afterwards that totally kills the momentum and the steam and drags the otherwise good pace down a notch.
Themes: FAILED IT! The personal motives, the revenge story and the basic truth that diamonds truly are a girl’s best friend. Nothing particularly original, in other words.
Atmosphere: BAILED IT! Other than the girl-talk parts and the flat atmosphere at the end, the atmosphere is largely what you’d expect from a heist movie of this type. Most of the humour, while lovely, isn’t all that funny.
Rewatchability: BAILED IT! Nope, not really. Unlike, say Ocean’s 11, which requires some focus to fully understand, this one is straightforward and there is little reason to revisit another time.
Expectations: BAILED IT! I went into this film, thinking it would be a pale copy of the first three films. It turns out to be a great update in many ways, but still not special enough to really have a reason to exist.
Bottom line: BAILED IT! Ocean’s 8 stays true to the franchise’s elaborate heists and elegant style, but even an all-female cast and a modern touch don’t help it stand out from the earlier films.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParent2019-08-29T10:19:08Z
OCEAN’S 8
Nailed it, bailed it or failed it?
Let’s play!
Writing: BAILED IT
The script stays true to the earlier films in the franchise, with a broad cast of diverse characters, a plot similar to Ocean’s 11, a highly implausible mega-heist and some clever twists and turns before the end credits. This time most of it has been dipped in a fashionable, elegant coat of female paint.
Much of the dialogue and humour is so strongly targeted at female audiences it actually became difficult for me to fully enjoy it all.
Most of the scenes outside of the actual heist aren’t really that interesting at all and much of the main plot itself lacks dramatic tension: things happen too easily, the twists are predictable and there is a lack of a compelling villain.
Even if the decision to continue the film a while after the heist is a great one, it also feels quite empty and flat in its final moments.
The main twist is quite implausible.
Characters and Acting: NAILED IT!
Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett actually make for a better dynamic duo than Clooney and Pitt in the original films. Together with the loveable Helena Bonham Carter, they steal the show.
The cast is diverse, and each character feels like a real person. They all have special talents suitable to the world today, which also gives the film a modern feel.
I like the fact that the film puts focus on one small step of the operation at a time, before moving on to the big heist. This way, it puts focus on one or two different characters at a time and give suitable screen-time to all of them.
Even if the film does a fine job at making every character stand out on their own, it struggles to make them a believable team together and many of the characters are quite simple.
James Corden, a talented comedian, feels completely misplaced in this film and his part could have easily been left out.
Direction: NAILED IT!
It largely works, with director Gary Ross clearly knowing what he wants his film to be, even if the film loses its sense of direction in the final 20 minutes.
Visuals: NAILED IT!
It’s as slick as always and it harks back to the original films with the playful editing and the interesting choice of angles.
Sound: BAILED IT!
Another connection with the first three films, Daniel Pemberton brings back that hectic, loud and annoying score I disliked in all of the earlier films.
Pacing: BAILED IT!
It starts out strong and the heist itself is very exciting to watch from start to finish. It’s what happens afterwards that totally kills the momentum and the steam and drags the otherwise good pace down a notch.
Themes: FAILED IT!
The personal motives, the revenge story and the basic truth that diamonds truly are a girl’s best friend. Nothing particularly original, in other words.
Atmosphere: BAILED IT!
Other than the girl-talk parts and the flat atmosphere at the end, the atmosphere is largely what you’d expect from a heist movie of this type. Most of the humour, while lovely, isn’t all that funny.
Rewatchability: BAILED IT!
Nope, not really. Unlike, say Ocean’s 11, which requires some focus to fully understand, this one is straightforward and there is little reason to revisit another time.
Expectations: BAILED IT!
I went into this film, thinking it would be a pale copy of the first three films. It turns out to be a great update in many ways, but still not special enough to really have a reason to exist.
Bottom line: BAILED IT!
Ocean’s 8 stays true to the franchise’s elaborate heists and elegant style, but even an all-female cast and a modern touch don’t help it stand out from the earlier films.