Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Ocean’s Eight’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There are few franchises out there as fascinating as the Ocean’s Eleven saga simply because this particular set of tales have turned out to be so incredibly diverse after all is said and done. After all, the original film was a Rat Pack heist flick that actually managed to feature musical numbers before George Clooney ever took on the role, and once it was brought into the modern era it turned out to be a cinematic powerhouse, spawning two sequels off of the 2001 remake thanks its popularity at the box office. 
 
So, it came as no surprise to me that eleven years after the adventures of Ocean’s Eleven came to a close that Hollywood would once again try something new with this particular franchise by putting together an all-female cast to pull off a brand new heist free from Terry Benedict and other slimeballs in Las Vegas and I won’t lie, Ocean’s Eight is a motion picture that I’ve been anxious to finally find time to sit down and watch simply because I was dying to know as to whether or not the caper in question and the characters that permeate this new story were going to be as fascinating as they were in previous entries in the franchise.
 
Because let’s be honest, what truly allows for this franchise to endure is the sheer fact it features fun films, ones filled to the brim with dynamic and memorable and quirky characters that we instantly attach to and the heists do matter because they’re always so incredibly complex and entertaining and seeing how they unfold is just as important as those characters and well, we won’t spend too much time talking about the plot today, outside of a couple of key elements that matter from said plot, simply because I want to answer that all important question, as to whether or not this movie can maintain the wonder and continuity of this storied franchise. 

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​The answer to that question, is a resounding yes, for several reasons. First and foremost, this story does a wonderful job of paying homage to the trilogy that came before it by providing us with the right type of connective tissue since Debbie Ocean is Danny’s sister and rather than ignore Danny’s past or try and move past his gang’s feats, they find a classy and curious way to integrate him and a couple of cameos from the gang into the story seamlessly, allowing for tribute to be paid. But he and his past capers never overshadow Debbie’s journey in this tale and the fact that she is quite the talented thief because the heist she plans is downright magical.
 
For this particular pull, one involving a beautiful diamond necklace, the Met Gala and a doofy actress truly is a delight to watch and quite frankly, this is the most complex lift yet when it comes to the franchise’s storied history and how this new gang executes their incredible payday is fascinating to say the least, since it features all kinds of twists and turns and surprises and what matters most, is that the characters are as dynamic as ever. Ocean’s Eight jell together well on screen and the casting here allows for female actors that we’ve never seen in this type of role to outright shine and each actor brings about unique quirks to these characters giving them life and incredible depth.       
 
Of course, none of this works without a stellar cast and you’ll find that here too since Sandra Bullock slays it as Debbie Ocean and she is complimented nicely by Cate Blanchett as Lou Miller, Debbie’s closest friend and partner in crime and really, this movie ends up being an acting clinic, thanks to its female led cast since everyone here contributes to their role and the story with a magnificent zest and zeal and well, I loved this film when all is said and done. It’s a perfect addition to the Ocean’s saga and it does the series proud by yet again offering us something new and exciting and if by chance you haven’t seen this one yet, please do, because it’s an absolutely entertaining ride. 

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