Ocean's Eight (2018 Film) Review
The sequel/spin-off/soft-reboot of the aforementioned trilogy has an impressive cast. This cast includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mindy Kaling. Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and a brief appearance from James Corden round out the cast.
"Ocean's Eight" is directed and scripted by Gary Ross, whose previous directing credits include "Seabiscuit," "The Hunger Games," and "Free State of Jones." Steven Soderbergh produces.
Overall Thoughts
Anyone remember "Ghostbusters?" The recent, all-female remake that everyone made a big fuss about, but once it debuted, it seemingly faded into obscurity? I do. In my opinion, the film was adequate entertainment. It was certainly not anywhere near the dumpster fire that the internet made it out to be even before it was released. However, when I heard that the Ocean's franchise was receiving a similar revitalization, I was worried. Not for the fact that I wouldn't like it, but worried that the same doomers were going to treat this film the same way. To my surprise, nobody said anything about this film. Not even when the first trailer was released. It was odd, but I was happy. Plus, the trailers showcased the talented cast and some laugh-out-loud quips, so while this wasn't one of my most anticipated films of the year, I was excited to discover what the end result would be.Sad to say, I was disappointed by this film. Like "Ghostbusters," it's okay. Gary Ross doesn't add anything to the sequel of the well-known trilogy. Instead, it seemed like he relied on Steven Soderbergh's help in making this movie. When "Ocean's Eight" is at its best, it's when the film is using the Soderbergh's unique style of humor to help sell the camaraderie between all the actors. In terms of directing, Ross simply doesn't have the zany qualities that Soderbergh has. The heist itself is fun, albeit played out, but the sets and costumes are standard. They lack a particular style or lavishness to them. I'm going to skip going into detail about the score. Daniel Pemberton's score is generic and uninspired. I found the only good music to be songs that were incorporated in the film. There was nothing about the score that was noteworthy to me. The comedy is a mixed bag. It wasn't a riot like I was anticipating, but some of the jokes landed big laughs from me. As for the other jokes, they were received with small groans. Some of the cast members didn't deliver their jokes as well as I was expecting.
The Eight
Part of the reason that I was excited for this film, was for the cast assembled. Sure, I'm not a huge fan of Rihanna, and I may not have known who Awkwafina was, but "Ocean's Eight" had some serious heavyweight actresses staring. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and Mindy Kaling are all entertaining actresses with comedic backgrounds, so I presumed that they'd hit a home run with their performances.
Did I say "home run?" I should have said, "foul ball." While one or two of the eight leads entertained, the majority of the actresses seemed like they were phoning in their performances. Particularly Sandra Bullock, who roams around the movie looking very solemn and lacking genuine emotion. The script doesn't allow her to have jokes and I couldn't get emotionally invested into where the story was taking her character. To be honest, I found myself rooting against her Debbie Ocean because Bullock didn't give the character any viable reasons for committing the heist in the film. Either Bullock did not put in any effort, or the filmmakers give her nothing to do. All in all, I expected more from the actress.
The same goes for Cate Blanchett. I have hardly anything to say about her or her character, outside of being dull and not very engaging. I was hopeful for Sarah Paulson's character as she had an interesting background and handled the humor well. Because of that, she barely escapes sharing the same views that I have with Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett's performances. Helena Bonham Carter was the most noticeable actress. Noticeable because it was clear that she didn't put in much effort. I couldn't get interested in her character and her troubles. She had a few good laughs, but that's about all that Carter got from me in terms of an emotional reaction. Rihanna continues to feel out of place in every movie that I've seen her in. Whether its in an animated comedy or space opera, she still can't manage to transform herself within the world of film. She just feels like a famous singer playing a hacker in this movie. She has no humor to spew and no character trait to speak of, other than being the hacker in the group. Awkwafina was entertaining at different points in the film, but she was inconsistent and thus, there were also times where she didn't entertain.
That only leaves Mindy Kaling and Anne Hathaway. For me, these were the most entertaining characters in the film. Not only did they have well-constructed humor to deliver, but those were the two that I was actually interested in. That, and these were roles that I haven't seen the actresses play before. Kaling's character has a good life, or rather, it would be good if she wasn't being harassed by her family. Is the character arch one that we've never seen before? No. Does Kaling's distinctive background add something different to the arch? Yes. Kaling's previous acting credits mostly includes comedies, and she gave the part a comedic edge. An edge that no other actress could have added. As for Hathaway, she's the target of the heist, or at least, the jewels around her neck are the target of the heist. In the last third of the film, her character's revealed to be part of the eight. It would've been surprising if it wasn't spoiled in the posters. Anyway, what's entertaining about Hathaway's role, is that she's playing a spoiled and vein woman. "That's not original, Dallin. Especially for Anne Hathaway." You're right, but at least in this role, she's intentionally playing that type of character. The entertaining thing about her, is how well she does it. It's slightly overblown, but with Hathaway, you could tell that she was having some real fun.
Grade: C-
With a few entertaining performances, a serviceable story, and some okay costumes and sets, "Ocean's Eight" is worth checking out when it's available to rent. It's not worthing seeing in the cinemas. I suppose that if you're into heist films and love them in spite of the formula that most of them use, then "Ocean's Eight" might be worth seeing in theaters for you. If you're not, again, this is not a film that you should pay to see in cinemas, even if you loved Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy and want to see cameos from some of the cast members in that trilogy.
Conclusion
That concludes my review of "Ocean's Eight." I know that it is not as long as my other reviews, but since I'm busy having to attend to other matters, I only had the time to focus on the cast, and this film was the perfect one to do so since there's not a lot to talk about beyond that. If you've seen "Ocean's Eight," tell me what you thought of the film and my review in the comments section below. I'll be seeing "Ant-Man and the Wasp" this Saturday, so you can look forward to my review of that film either on Sunday or Monday. Thanks for reading, I'm Dallin, the Film Fanatic, bye-bye.
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