movie review // a complete ranking of the ocean's films

image from Las Vegas Newswire

the ocean's trilogy is one of the best heist film series in the history of hollywood (don't @ me.) but, like any other movie or book series, certain films within the series overpower others with their brilliance.

here is my ranking of the films within the ocean's trilogy (and the spin-off, ocean's eight.)

**warning: minor spoilers ahead!

1) ocean's eleven (2001)

the og. ocean's eleven did a great job perfectly balancing intrigue, comedy, and surprise. i just loved everything about this film, except for how confusing it is, but i'm pretty certain that's a me problem. note to self: watch this with subtitles next time.

my favorite things:

• linus caldwell. he's so entertaining and funny, and he's my favorite character in every film of this series.
• the heist. of the three original films, the heist featured in this movie was the most incredible one. it was the most well-thought-out while also being reasonable in how each feat was accomplished. finally, this heist had the biggest twist and i was HERE. FOR. IT.
• the characters. in addition to linus, i loved ALL of the characters. (especially virgil and turk's endless bickering.)

my not-so-favorite things:

• nothing, really.

my overall rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)

2) ocean's thirteen (2007)

image from Pinterest

a close second to ocean's eleven, but just not nearly there.

my favorite things:

• the heist. it was, like every film in this series, capable of throwing me off time and time again.
• the character growth. in the first movie, the heist is performed in the name of spite and greed. in the second movie, the heist is done so the characters can save themselves. in this third movie, the heist is done for the sole purpose of avenging the characters' dear friend, a major character improvement.

my not-so-favorite things:

• the heist. while it was awesome, it was just slightly less "wow" than that of the first film. i just wish it were more of a central heist rather than a long-awaited scheme, if that makes sense. it felt less like one important event and more of a culmination of all of their efforts over a large period of time.
• it was confusing. it was also, in my opinion, the most complicated and confusing heist of them all. even after having watched it in full and skimming through a few additional times, i'm certain i've still missed some important key plot points. there were way too many faces to remember that i only saw for a few moments and was expected to later recognize.

my overall rating: ★★★★✬ (4.5 stars)

3) ocean's eight (2018)

image from Ball State Daily News

a good movie overall, but pales in comparison to its predecessors.

my favorite things:

• the heist. again, not as "wow" as the movies preceding it. but, it was still clever as always.

my not-so-favorite things:

• the cast of characters. these characters just were not nearly as charming as the criminals in the original trilogy. i feel like in the original movies, we get to know each and every character very well in some way or another, and we grow attached to their individual quirks and charms. in this film, we don't get that same experience and instead of graced with a bunch of capable criminals that we just don't relate all that much to.

my overall rating: ★★★✬☆ (3.5 stars)

4) ocean's twelve (2004)

image from Filmcraziest

something was just off about this film. don't get me wrong, it was entertaining and definitely still funny. but with the same actors and characters as the other two from the trilogy, it had great potential but ended up falling flat.

my favorite things:

• the characters. i just love these guys. need i say more?

my not-so-favorite things:

• the editing. there was something about the editing of this film that just felt off. it was borderline tacky. the font changed halfway through the film, and i distinctly recall one scene of an airplane flying that consisted of footage that was rotated 90 degrees for seemingly no reason.
• the story. nearly everything felt pointless for one reason or another. it was almost like running in circles. they're in this mess because a dude named francois toulour can't see past his ego. they're being pursued by this detective who absolutely must capture these criminals if it's the last thing she does. in fact, she forges a document to make it happen. she gets them in jail, they're released in moments, and it's almost like this entire movie didn't happen. except, oh wait, now she's in trouble for forging that document and has to go into hiding. just... why? i get it, i really do, but i just believe that the execution of this film was done without much thought into the storyline as a whole.

my overall rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)

if you guys have made it to the end of this lengthy review post, thank you! i hope you enjoyed and i look forward to seeing ya'll in my next post. :-) comment down below your favorite crime/comedy film and subscribe for more!