290. Ocean's 8; movie review

OCEAN'S 8
Cert 12A
110 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, drugs misuse, sex references

And the record for the highest number at the end of a sequel this summer goes to...
But surely, this is cheating because Ocean's 8 is only the fourth movie about high-rolling con artists. Or is that fifth?
I have given up counting. Anyway, in common with many of the sequels, it is another movie which really wasn't that great.
Gary Ross' film is one of the first major studio movies to have an all-women cast since the #MeToo campaign.
It really needed to be good to show the chauvinists what they have been missing.
Sadly, it is so dreary that a week after watching it I have almost forgotten it.
Sandra Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, the sister of dear departed conman Danny.
A swindler herself, she is given parole after convincing prison authorities that she is a reformed character and immediately sets about gathering a team to stage the most lucrative jewellery robbery in history.
Cate Blanchett is her glamorous if low-key number two while the rest of a quirky gang include Helena Bonham Carter and Rihanna.
Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway is the full-of-herself model who is scheduled to wear the gem-bedecked necklace which is the gang's target.
So, an all-star cast has been assembled and been paid nearly as much as the value of the fictitious gems they are stealing.
Disappointingly, they really don't have to work very hard for their money.
I always found that the problem with the Ocean heists was that they were so fast and intricate that I became disengaged.
Ditto Ocean's 8. The plans are discussed with such rapidity it is impossible to take in all of the details and work out whether there they are credible.
Nobody can deny that Ross's film looks great from the beautiful cast to the eye-watering backdrops but that really isn't enough.
But what do I know - it has made $270m against a budget of $70m - so we'd better steel ourselves for another tide of Ocean movies.

Reasons to watch: A impressive collection of A-list actresses
Reasons to avoid: So, so dreary

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 5/10

Director quote - "It’s just something that I originated and created, brought to the studio, and worked for five years to get made, so… it really was a personal movie in that respect, even though it’s derived from another franchise."

The big question - What was the point?

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