Like them or not, there is no escaping two things this summer: money-grubbing sequels and the gang of Ocean’s 13. A well-constructed ensemble of leading men and character players, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his crew first burst onto the scene in 2001 with a slick remake of the 1960 Rat Pack could easily fold into the mix of tepid trilogy cappers, especially after Ocean’s 12, which felt like an inside joke that nobody in the cast bothered to explain. Fortunately, this installment recaptures the fun of the first movie and serves as an acceptable apology for what happened in 2004.

Ocean’s 13 is far less plot-heavy than its predecessors. It starts when Reuben (Elliott Gould) enters as a top investor in the building of Willie Bank’s (Al Pacino) newest casino. Bank cuts Reuben out of the profits and leaves him with little in the way of severance packages: a few bucks and a heart attack. To get back at Bank during Reuben’s recovery, Danny gathers the troops to bring down his casino on opening night.

That’s really all the setup that the movie needs, solving one of the biggest problems found in the second offering; this time, the heist gathering significant steam within a half hour of the title credits. This lets the lead actors, Clooney and Brad Pitt chief among them, to spread the charm liberally over the film. Truly, though, this is ensemble acting at its finest, because the supporting players are given ample opportunity to shine, and some of them do so remarkably. As a mole sent to a Mexican factory that provides dice for Bank’s casino, Casey Affleck is hilarious; back at the casino, Matt Damon is brilliant as a pickpocket and conman who seduces Bank’s top employee (Ellen Barkin).

Not surprisingly given its writers and director, Ocean’s Thirteen is drenched in style and wit. Some of the moments – the heavily-marketed roll of the eyes by Clooney after Andy Garcia quips a particularly cheesy line comes to mind – are over the top to the detriment of the otherwise quick pace. But the film sails along in relatively calm waters, without too much pretense. In a series like this, the question to ask when walking out of the movie is “If they made another, would I see it?” After Ocean’s Twelve, that answer was in flux, but a promise to make up for its faults brought me back a third time. Would I see an Ocean’s Fourteen if they decided to make it? Absolutely, and that’s a huge credit to the success of this film.

Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5

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