*** Official OCEAN'S TWELVE Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Haggai]

Just got back from this. I guess I liked the first one more, though I only saw it once, when it was originally out. They laid it on a bit thick near the end with this one, but it was still fun. The people needling Bruce Willis was pretty classic--"when I saw her not talking to you at dinner, I figured the whole thing out!"

The whole "she looks just like Julia Roberts" thing was a little obvious, in my book, not all that witty. But there were some funny details thrown in, just as asides. One of the group called her "J-Ro" when they were hustling her out of the museum, that was pretty funny.

 

[Aaron Thorne]

Being a huge fan of the first film, I was quite disappointed here. I think this movie was just made for cash only, because the heist storyline was a joke compared to the first film.

The best part of this film was the Kashmir lyrics. Maybe if the song would have been used in the score I would have liked the film more...

 

[Haggai]

Aaron, I agree that as a heist movie, the first one was clearly a lot better. But you must have enjoyed the Red Sox-Yankees brawl on the train, right?

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Hmmm...

~Edwin

 

[Niko Nykanen]

I just LOVED the tune they played during the scene with the lasers. But that one doesn´t seem to be on the official soundtrack?? Or is it? I couldn´t find it. That´s one reason to buy the OST IMO.
GREAT tune!

Which/What song is it?

and why didn´t the dude just walk behind the statuettes as there seemed to be space behind them?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Was it really necessary to lift up the building 3 inches via the foundation?

 

[Quentin]

The Ocean's series is reminiscent of the Cannonball Run series.

Soderbergh is clearly having a ton of fun as Director and DP with all sorts of style and aplomb. He's on fire and loving it.

The stars are all playing around with each other - there's a TON of improv here. They're just lapping up the coolness that they exude.

But, if you don't look for quality filmmaking and let go - you can have fun with it. Because they are clearly having a blast. I love it! Sooooo goofy and over the top.

 

[Ryan FB]

Kourtrajmé - Thé à La Menthe

I noticed the same thing about the statuettes. Also, I felt that that scene in general was just extremely poorly done with the really CGI-looking lasers (which is really more the fault of the director and SFX crew than Vincent Cassel).

I definitely enjoyed the first movie much more than this one.

 

[Bill Catherall]

It was the only way they could get a straight shot to the key pad through the open window.

Of course, maybe it would have been easier to just put together a rig on the rooftop that could lower the gun instead of trying to raise the window. But then that wouldn't have made the setup for the detective's revelation very interesting.

I'm confused on one thing though, when did the whole egg theft take place? I mean the actual theft on the train? Was it before or after Amsterdam's foiled heist? It seems to have been sometime before the challenge is actually issued by the Night Fox...right?

 

[Holadem]

Am I the only one who found the whole Julia Roberts thing extremely self- indulgent on her (and Willis') part? It's mostly the duration, it was cute at first, but it just went on for far too long, I felt I was watching stars padding themselves on the back about their kewl lifestyle...

--
H

 

[Patrick Sun]

Re: the lifting the building 3" - why not just build a faux platform on the rooftop to bump up the height for the cross-bow.

 

[Shawn_KE]

I agree. I was kinda funny at the beginning, but it keep going on and on like a SNL skit. And to make it more unbearable, I really can't stand Julia Roberts.

 

[Bill Catherall]

They lifted the building they were breaking into because the window was too low. Their gun/cross-bow was too high.

 

[PatH]

I left the theater feeling that, while it was okay, it was far too precious. Most heist movies carry you along and give you a chance to figure out what's going on; this one didn't, and at the end we discover thatthe real heist took place before we even got involved in it. As to that, I will not believe that any museum in its right mind would allow a priceless Faberge egg to be transported by backpack. Not only is the item far too fragile for such treatment, but just how secure is it when Peter Finch knew about it all along? Too thin, Rooster!
. On further reflection, I feel ripped, as if Clooney and his pals got together for a big party in Italy and turned out some kind of movie on the side. Since its box office dropped by 50% in its second week, perhaps I'm not alone.

Perhaps Soderbergh would have been better served to return to the book for his sequel, which even Sinatra didn't do. I haven't read this, but my brother has and informs me that the mob hunts them down and kills them one by one as an object lesson. Andy Garcia could have filled this bill nicely.
True, it would have been a much different movie, but it probably would have made more sense.

PatH

 

[MattGentry]

Am I the only one who thought that the real reason the sequel didn't work as much was because they focused too much on Zeta-Jones's character?

It detracted quite a bit away from the crew and made it feel less "fun."

I don't know. Just not as good as the first...

 

[Yee-Ming]

After Amsterdam, and must've been after the Night Fox issued the challenge -- no reason for them to target the egg otherwise. So after they've failed in Amsterdam, and accepted the Night Fox's challenge, you see them get on the train, you don't see (chronologically) the egg-heist take place on the train, then they arrive in Rome and go through the motions of preparing the museum heist, and all the while the egg is sitting in the backpack on the chair.

I suppose lifting the building was "less obtrusive" than building a highly visible platform, which the paranoid target might have called the police to look into?

I'm just wondering, was the Night Fox's bet to cover the entire $160M plus interest, or only the shortfall (about $97M?) Not that it really matters, but if it was the entire thing (which I think it was), at least the gang gets out with their original take intact (save those who've already spent it).

 

[Henry Gale]

I did enjoy Topher Grace as himself, having a mental breakdown and referring to "phoning in" his performance in the Dennis Quaid movie.
In Good Company opens this week. That was a unique plug.

 

[Bill Catherall]

When they were talking to Le Marc (sp?) and got the info of the where-abouts of the real egg I thought he meantioned the challenge in the future tense. Something like "when the Night Fox challenges you." Of course, that doesn't mean the egg was stolen before the challenge. Just that maybe they knew about the challenge before we were lead to believe they did. I don't know.

 

[Quentin]

I loved that! It was the one laugh out loud moment for me. Great stuff bringing Topher back.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Interesting. I didn't catch that. Have to listen more carefully to the DVD.

As an aside, not that you non-Arsenal fans care, when they featured what purported to be Arsenal boarding their team bus, I was trying to see if I recognised any of the "players", wondering if it was real cameos or just extras in costume. Didn't recognise any, though some might have been youth-team players, and the guy who took Clooney's bag did look somewhat like the Aresnal physio.