I’ve been excited about Ocean’s 8 ever since the trailer dropped late last year, so I snuck out to catch a late showing last night. Here’s a quick run-down in case you’re on the fence about stealing away to see it yourself. (I’ll see myself out.)
1. What’s Ocean’s 8 about?
In case you haven’t watched the trailer dozens of times already, here’s the scoop: Debbie Ocean, sister of mastermind (and presumed deceased) Danny Ocean, has just been released from jail, where she’s spent her “five years, eight months, twelve days” planning the biggest jewel heist in history. The goal is to hit the Met Gala Ball, where Daphne Kluger will be wearing a $150M diamond necklace.
2. Is it a remake of Ocean’s 11?
Nope—it’s more like another entry in the Ocean’s series, although with a new, all-female team. There’s a little bit of continuity to the rest of the series provided in the references to Danny (though is death is never explained) and a few brief cameos from Danny’s team.
3. Who’s in Ocean’s 8?
Here’s the cast:
- Sandra Bullock: Debbie Ocean, the mastermind
- Cate Blanchett: Lou Miller, Debbie’s criminal partner
- Anne Hathway: Daphne Kluger, the celebrity mark who will be wearing the target necklace
- Mindy Kaling: Amita, a jeweler with an overbearing mother
- Sarah Paulson: Tammy, a suburban mom and a fence for stolen goods
- Awkwafina: Constance, a street hustler and pickpocket
- Rihanna: Nine-Ball, a hacker
- Helena Bonham-Carter: Rose Weil, a fashion designer who has seen better days
- Richard Armitage: Claude Becker, art dealer and Debbie’s ex-boyfriend
- James Corden: John Frazier, the insurance agent who looks into the theft
Everyone does a great job in their roles, though I felt like Rihanna and Awkafina especially weren’t given as much to do. Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett play off each other well, and Helena Bonham-Carter turns on her charming awkwardness.
4. What’s it rated and why?
The film is rated PG-13 for some language and sexuality—the sex is implied but just cuts to afterward, with nothing more seen than a man’s bare chest. There was more violence in some of the previous leading up to Ocean’s 8 than in the movie itself.
5. Will I like it?
If you like heist movies—and particularly the Ocean’s 11 style of heist movies, with a lot of good-looking people and hand-wavy technology—then you’ll probably enjoy this one, too. It’s got it all: a clever plan with unexpected complications, quirky personalities, a couple of flashbacks, and some inevitable surprise twists. And because of the setting at the Met Gala Ball, you also get to see a bunch of actors dressed up in gorgeous outfits (though fairly briefly), if that’s your sort of thing. It’s a fun, light-hearted heist movie, not a nitty gritty heist movie. And if you love the idea of seeing more women in prominent roles in movies, Ocean’s 8 certainly pulls it off.
6. Will my kids like it?
This may be harder to say for younger kids, because it depends on whether they like heist movies and whether they can follow all the explanations for what’s going on, which happens at a pretty rapid pace. Much of the humor seemed targeted at an adult audience. Though if you have a young daughter who dreams of becoming a criminal mastermind … maybe you shouldn’t give her too many ideas.
7. When’s the best time for a bathroom break?
Because of the pace of the movie once the heist preparations really get underway, there are a lot of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that make it tough to get to the bathroom. The first portion of the movie shows Debbie getting in touch with all of the team members, and is fairly similar to what you see in the trailers, so if you sneak out then you won’t miss much. One other scene that is fairly amusing, but long enough that you could probably get back before another scene begins, is when Rose and Amita first visit Cartier’s to talk about the necklace.
8. Are there any extra scenes after the credits?
Nope—there aren’t any extra scenes during or after the credits.
