originally posted on filmbrats.com
Ocean’s 11 (**1/2)
Reviewed by Jon Waterman
Danny Ocean and his buddies from the 82nd Airborne are getting together for a little reunion. This isn’t a time for them to sit back and talk about their days in the war. No, instead they’re gathering to go on one last mission. The plan is to use their combined expertise to pull off the biggest heist in history. On New Years Eve, five Las Vegas casinos will be hit simultaneously. But can they pull it off? Will they get caught? Forget that. First they have to worry about whether or not they can get the whole crew back and in on the deal.
You can’t accurately describe this movie without mentioning the Rat Pack. You got the whole gang here, along with many other supporting characters including Henry Silva, Norman Fell, and Cesar Romero (just to name a select few). The attitude that comes with the established camaraderie is a very light-hearted, easy-going one. It looks like all the characters/actors are having a lot of fun and that translates back to the audience. However, it does not make for very good performances. Even the more seasoned actors in the Pack, like Frank Sinatra (an Oscar Winner for “From Here to Eternity”) and Peter Lawford just go about their time on screen as if it’ll never be shown to the public.
The whole relationship aspect of the film also hurts the story, in a sense. Too much time is spent locating and convincing the army buddies to join up. It would be nice if there were a way to handle two or three at a time, instead of just one. You almost get to the point where you wonder if the heist aspect of the movie will ever actually happen. After the heist, you have an insanely long resolution period, too. Director Lewis Milestone (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) must have felt the urge to include everything that happened at every location in the film, when it really wasn’t necessary. The point is there’s not enough meat on the plate. At slightly over two hours, some of that fat should have been trimmed, or maybe even made into a sequel.
The film tries to be funnier than it should be. Most of the time, the humor is very flat and dryly delivered. They are oddly placed, as well. In the middle of a key sequence, there will be a pause for some comedic attempt, then go right back to the narrative. Sometimes, they just needed to let go and allow the scene to play out naturally. Like I said, the cast is obviously having fun with the film; there’s no need to go overboard with corny one-liners.
I wish I could say this film was “a thrilling adventure,” or “a magnificent, daring caper.” Instead, I have to tell it straight and say this is just a movie where the Rat Pack got together and had some fun in Vegas. Assign characters, add a couple of so-so songs, put it on film and there you go. It’s still fun, just in a campy way.
Rating: NR
Year: 1960
Running Time: 127 min
Director: Lewis Milestone
Writer: Harry Brown, Charles Lederer
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.
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