Ocean's 8 - A RMNT Review

Ocean's 8 is the latest film set after Ocean's Trilogy with its director, Steven Soderbergh co-producing it, Gary Ross taking on the role of director as well as co-screenwriter and features an all-star cast including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and so on. When I first read the announcement of the all-female spin-off film of Ocean's Eleven, many did not react to the news well since the Ghostbusters reboot released in 2016 was a box-office disaster and were afraid that this one was gonna suffer the same problems. I was one of the many who got curious, but kept my excitement to a minimum. But after having seen the film, was it worth the wait and does it show potential for more sequels?

As I mentioned, the film is set after the events of the Ocean's Trilogy where Debbie Ocean (played by Sandra Bullock), having been released from prison, prepares a sophisticated heist that she's planning for years: to steal the Toussaint, a Cartier necklace that's worth $150 million, but in order for the job to go as planned, she'll need the help of her old partner Lou (Cate Blanchett), along with several other women to handle other aspects of the plan. The setup is simple, which is a problem since it feels like watching the first Ocean's Eleven film, right down to how the story opens, but with Gary Ross directing, he could've bought something different to the table to give it a whole new identity to separate it from the previous films. Then there's also the lack of stakes and risks, but despite that, the humor and style keeps you engaged to the plot, characters, and of course, the heist itself.

With a cast such as this, you can't go wrong at all! Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, and even Rihanna, all did amazing jobs in their respective roles, as well as showing fantastic chemistry between their characters, which is very essential for a film such as this. Then there's also the many cameos, including Dakota Fanning as a famous celebrity character, Kim Kardashian, Serena Williams, Heidi Klum, Katie Holmes, Anna Wintour, Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima and many more during the Met Gala sequence, which was expected since its one of the biggest fundraising events in the United States. As for the other characters featured in the film, like Richard Armitage as art dealer Claude Becker and James Corden as insurance fraud investigator John Frazier, they both do good work with what they're given, as Richard delivers charm, but James as his character on the other hand, I still just see James and not the character, but its passable since he doesn't have much screen time.

When it comes to an Ocean's film, presentation is key, which is what delivered! Gary Ross gives us a plenty of beautiful shots, whether they're exterior shots of New York or the interior sets at the Met Gala, especially during the heist. The film's costume designing is also eye-catching, so I really have to give praise to Sarah Edwards for making the very stunning gowns provided for the main cast as they too steal the spotlight! The story may not have a standout, but at least I got plenty of visual experience to feast on!

Despite a story that feels somewhat rehashed that has little risks, Ocean's 8 was an overall fun and entertaining heist film, thanks to the performances of its all-star female cast, well-shot locale, gorgeous costuming, and the execution of a cool heist! With word of the possibility of a sequel, let's just hope that it brings new ideas and challenges, and hopefully, the cast reunites to do another big job!

Story: 3 / 5

Characters: 3.5 / 5

Production: 4 / 5

Final rating: 3.5 / 5