The plot of Ocean’s Thirteen is one that resonated strongly with me. Elliot Gould portrayed a man who was confined to his bed by a devastating illness. Initially hospitalized, he’s eventually released home, but even there he’s lost in a fugue state, catatonic to everything that is going on around him. It’s as if, in the midst of a whirlwind of life, he’s frozen and unable to interact in any meaningful way. It’s a bad way to be. Okay, admittedly I’ve merely been ill for a week while he lost millions of dollars and had a heart attack thanks to Al Pacino’s diabolical plotting; still, though, I feel like we shared a common bond throughout my watching the movie, Elliot Gould and I.

Danny Ocean et al, having learned of their friend’s dire straits, immediately embark on a masterful plan to shatter Pacino’s empire as well as his pride. Sure, a lot of money is there to be stolen, but the payout isn’t the point this time; it’s all about revenge. The only flaw this one can boast below the so-fine original is that the twists were somewhat more predictable; Ocean’s Twelve has been left in the dust. There’s not really much I can say here that’s not a spoiler, though. You know there’s a fiendishly complex plot to rob a casino, right? The rest is the nuts and bolts details, and that’s where the movie shines. You get to watch eleven twelve thirteen people who are far cooler than you personally will ever have a hope of being doing things that you would be arrested for merely thinking about. (Well, it’s more like five people who are cooler than you and a bunch of other people who fill niche positions. But the cool ones more than make up the slack.)

It is both awesome and hilarious is what I’m saying. Given that you enjoy the cinematic experience to any degree, why haven’t you seen this movie yet?