Since I liked the first OCEAN’S ELEVEN (well, actually, the second) I decided I had to see Ocean’s Twelve. It had all of the first cast, and the same director, Steven Soderbergh, plus it also had Catherine Zeta Jones. Nothing wrong with that.

Well, there’s not too much wrong with Ocean’s Twelve, but there’s really not as much right as I would have liked. It is an entertaining movie as a whole, but despite a cast that oozes charm, it’s kind of boring at times. I also have to say that it takes suspension of disbelief a little father than I was ready, willing or able to accept.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt again are the ringmasters for the eclectic bunch of thieves, all played wonderfully by the likes of Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, and two other guys, but I don’t know their names. Every body plays it fast and loose is great in their roles. Clooney and Pitt stand out since they have the most screen time, but Damon also comes into his own here. Nice. And Cheadle always rocks, even though his role is pretty small. Also back are Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia, though Garcia doesn’t get much screen time. Ms. Roberts does a nice job, even though she looks kinda weird. She looks and acts very different from her role in CLOSER. It’s all about versatility.

Joining the cast is Catherine Zeta Jones. I think she was miscast, but by the time it was all said and done, I was OK with her. And besides, looking at her is never difficult…
Also in the film is Vincent Cassell, a French actor whose English is kind of annoying but pretty solid. He’s a great actor though, as witnessed in BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF. This being a sure fire American hit, he may be getting more American exposure now. But I’m sure he’s happy just living somewhere in Europe with his inhumanly beautiful wife, Monica Bellucci.

So I was a little disappointed with Ocean’s Twelve overall, but it’s still a cool flick. Soderbergh really pushes the cool over substance at times, but that’s OK. I’m sure this movie will be at least as big a hit as his original, if not even bigger.