Ocean's Thirteen

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Ocean's Thirteen
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteven Soderbergh
Written by
Based on
Characters
by
Produced byJerry Weintraub
Starring
CinematographyPeter Andrews
Edited byStephen Mirrione
Music byDavid Holmes
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • May 24, 2007 (2007-05-24) (Cannes)
  • June 8, 2007 (2007-06-08) (United States)
Running time
122 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$85 million[1]
Box office$311.7 million[1]

Ocean's Thirteen is a 2007 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. It is the third in the Ocean's film trilogy and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino. The plot centers on Danny Ocean and his team as they seek revenge against ruthless casino owner Willy Bank after he double-crosses one of their own.

The film was screened out of competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2007[2][3], and was released theatrically in the United States on June 8 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its return to form after Ocean's Twelve. The film was a commercial success, grossing $312 million against an estimated production budget of $85 million.

Plot

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Reuben Tishkoff builds a hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Against advice from his friend and erstwhile criminal partner Danny Ocean, he becomes involved with investor and casino mogul Willy Bank, whose thugs strongarm Reuben into signing over his ownership stake. As a result, Tishkoff suffers a heart attack and becomes bedridden. Ocean offers Bank a chance to set things right, but Bank refuses and completes the hotel, renamed "The Bank".

To avenge Tishkoff, Ocean gathers his crew to ruin Bank on the hotel's opening night. The crew's plan has two objectives:

  • Prevent The Bank from winning the prestigious Five Diamond Award, which all of Bank's previous hotels have won. Saul Bloom acts as the anonymous Five Diamond reviewer, while the real one is treated horribly.
  • Rig all of the casino's games to pay millions in winnings; Bank's casino must make $500 million in the first quarter to stay open. Otherwise, Bank will lose control of his hotel to the board of directors.

While they can implement various rigging mechanisms into the casino, Danny and his crew can be stopped by the Greco, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computer system that monitors gamblers' biometric responses and detects cheating. To disrupt the Greco, they plan to use a magnetron disguised as a cell phone as a gift to Bank. They also obtain the drilling machine used to bore the Channel Tunnel to simulate an earthquake under the casino to evacuate the premises. Their plan on opening night is to have Bank inadvertently disrupt the Greco with his new phone, initiate their rigged machines, as well as dealers on their payroll, and simulate the earthquake to force the evacuation, so that players leave with their winnings.

Shortly before opening night, the drill breaks down. The team is forced to ask Terry Benedict, their previous target, for funds to buy a replacement. He offers the money for a portion of the take. He dislikes Bank and demands that they steal Bank's private diamond collection that celebrates his Five Diamond Awards. The jewels are secured in a case at the top of the casino. Ocean has Linus Caldwell seduce Bank's assistant Abigail Sponder to gain access to the case. Secretly, Benedict contracts master thief François "The Night Fox" Toulour to intercept the diamonds.

Ocean institutes the final part of the plan by having FBI agents on his payroll arrive at the hotel and arrest Livingston Dell on suspicion of rigging the card-shuffling machines, allowing them to be replaced with actual rigged ones. The same FBI agent arrests Linus for switching the diamonds with fakes. The agent takes Linus away and he turns out to be his father Robert, whom Ocean enlisted. Trying to evacuate from the roof, they are intercepted by Toulour. He takes the diamonds off Linus and parachutes off the roof after tricking him with an unloaded pistol. However, Ocean anticipated this and never had Linus make the switch. Linus and his father escape in a helicopter piloted by Basher, tearing the case of diamonds out through the roof. The earthquake is triggered and the players evacuate with millions of dollars in winnings. Ocean tells Bank he is the mastermind and that they did it for Reuben. He reminds him that he cannot get revenge, since Danny knows all of Bank's associates, who prefer him over Bank. He also cannot go to the police due to Bank's illegal activities.

With their share of the winnings, Ocean's crew buy property on the Strip for Reuben to build his own casino. Ocean donates Benedict's $72 million portion of the take to charity in Benedict's name, forcing him to admit his philanthropy on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Ocean, Rusty, and Linus say goodbye at the airport. Before boarding his flight, Rusty gives his last coin to the real Five Diamond reviewer to play on a slot machine in the terminal. The reviewer, unaware it is rigged, wins $11 million and publicly celebrates his winnings as Rusty walks away grinning.

Cast

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The Thirteen

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Others

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Production

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Development

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In January 2006, reports emerged that producers were in discussions to set and film most of Ocean's Thirteen at the Wynn Las Vegas. George Clooney had previously expressed interest in shooting the film at his planned Las Ramblas Resort in Las Vegas, but the project was not expected to be completed in time for production.[4] By March 2006, it was announced that a large portion of the film would instead be shot on a fabricated casino set constructed across five sound stages at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.[5] Principal photography was scheduled to begin in Las Vegas and Los Angeles in July 2006.[6]

Casting

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Al Pacino joined the ensemble cast in April 2006, portraying the film's primary antagonist, Willy Bank.[7] Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who played Tess Ocean and Isabel Lahiri in the previous installments, did not return for the sequel. According to reports, both actresses declined to participate due to the limited nature of their roles in the new script, which the filmmakers opted not to expand.[8] Their absence is briefly addressed in the film, with Danny Ocean noting that the heist "is not their fight". Topher Grace, who made cameo appearances in the first two films as a satirical version of himself, was also unable to return due to reshoots for Spider-Man 3 (2007). Grace later revealed that his intended scene would have involved a cryptic conversation with Rusty while holding an Asian baby, with no explanation given for the child's presence.[9]

Filming

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Location scouting began in mid-July 2006, with the Bellagio—previously featured in Ocean's Eleven (2001)—confirmed as one of the film's settings.[10] Filming commenced on August 7, 2006, in Las Vegas, with scenes shot at McCarran International Airport and a nearby heliport.[11][12] The following day, production moved to the under-construction Palazzo resort.[13] Las Vegas filming wrapped on August 9 after key scenes involving George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Andy García were completed at an office behind the Bellagio. A return shoot was planned for September 2006, including additional scenes at the Bellagio.[14][13]

Producer Jerry Weintraub and Clooney considered hosting the film's world premiere in Las Vegas to reflect the setting's central role in the trilogy.[13]

Music

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Main article: Ocean's Thirteen (soundtrack)

Reception

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Box office

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Ocean's Thirteen opened in the United States and Canada on June 8, 2007, debuting at number one at the box office. Despite opening in 250 more theaters than its predecessor, Ocean's Twelve (2004), the film earned $36 million during its opening weekend, slightly below the $39 million debut of the previous installment.[15][16] It went on to gross $117.1 million domestically and $194.6 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $311.7 million.[1] While its performance fell short of the $450.7 million global gross of Ocean's Eleven (2001), the film was still considered a commercial success and outperformed Ocean's Twelve internationally.

Critical response

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On Rotten Tomatoes, Ocean's Thirteen holds an approval rating of 70% based on 201 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Ocean's Thirteen reverts to the formula of the first installment, and the result is another slick and entertaining heist film."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18] Audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[19]

David Edelstein of New York praised Steven Soderbergh's style, writing, "As the plotting gets knottier, [Soderbergh]'s technique gets more fluid—the editing jazzier, the colors more luscious, the whip-pans more whizbang. It's all anchored by George Clooney, looking impudent, roguish, almost laughably handsome."[20] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times commented that Soderbergh "has learned to go against the grain while also going with the flow", adding that he "proves that in spades by using color like Kandinsky and hanging a funny mustache on Mr. Clooney's luscious mug".[21]

In a more mixed assessment, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four, writing, "Ocean's Thirteen proceeds with insouciant dialogue, studied casualness, and a lotta stuff happening, none of which I cared much about because the movie doesn't pause to develop the characters."[22] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian was more critical, noting, "There is no human motivation and no romance... the scenes could be reshuffled and shown in any order and it would amount to the same thing."[23]

Accolades

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Award Date of the ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Teen Choice Awards August 26, 2007 Choice Movie – Comedy Ocean's Thirteen Nominated [24]
Choice Movie Villain Al Pacino Nominated
Choice Movie Chemistry Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Elliott Gould, Eddie Izzard, Eddie Jemison, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Qin Shaobo, and Carl Reiner Nominated
People's Choice Awards January 8, 2008 Favorite On Screen Match-Up George Clooney and Brad Pitt Won [25]
Costume Designers Guild February 19, 2008 Excellence in Contemporary Film Louise Frogley Nominated [26]
BET Awards June 24, 2008 Best Actor Don Cheadle (also for Talk to Me) Nominated [27]

Home media

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Ocean's Thirteen was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1 on November 13, 2007. A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition, including a limited SteelBook release, was subsequently made available on April 30, 2024.

Potential sequel

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Following the release of Ocean's Thirteen, discussions regarding a potential sequel continued for several years. However, the project was put on hold after the death of cast member Bernie Mac in 2008. In June 2021, Don Cheadle stated in an interview that director Steven Soderbergh had been developing a concept for a new installment in the Ocean's franchise.[28] The following month, Matt Damon expressed interest in reprising his role, noting that any future sequel would ultimately depend on Soderbergh's involvement and vision for the project.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ocean's Thirteen (2007) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
  2. ^ "OCEAN'S THIRTEEN". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  3. ^ "1,631 Cannes Film Festival Oceans Thirteen Premiere Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures, and Images - Getty Images". www.gettyimages.ca. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  4. ^ Clarke, Norm (January 22, 2006). "Sequel might be filmed at Wynn". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 26, 2006.
  5. ^ Clarke, Norm (March 28, 2006). "'Ocean's' gang ready for reunion". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on April 5, 2006.
  6. ^ "Ocean's 13 to Start on July 21". ComingSoon.net. March 27, 2006. Archived from the original on March 30, 2006.
  7. ^ Clarke, Norm (April 30, 2006). "Celine Dion deals with ear trouble". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 18, 2006.
  8. ^ "Clooney Dives Into 'Ocean's 13'". CBS News. March 28, 2006.
  9. ^ Raup, Jordan (August 8, 2018). "Topher Grace on Portraying the Racism of Today in 'BlacKkKlansman,' Spike Lee's Brilliance, and the 'Ocean's Thirteen' Cameo He Couldn't Shoot". The Film Stage. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  10. ^ Clarke, Norm (July 21, 2006). "'Ocean's 13' crew scouts locations". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007.
  11. ^ Clarke, Norm (August 4, 2006). "Shop owner tells tale of two roomies". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008.
  12. ^ Clarke, Norm (August 8, 2006). "Teen singer pulls vanishing act". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006.
  13. ^ a b c Clarke, Norm (August 10, 2006). "New 'Ocean' might premiere in Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006.
  14. ^ Clarke, Norm (August 6, 2006). "Keep lookout for 'Ocean's' crowd". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008.
  15. ^ ""Ocean's Thirteen" steals No. 1 spot at box office". Reuters. June 10, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  16. ^ Douglas, Edward (June 10, 2007). "The Summer Box Office Gets All Wet". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  17. ^ "Ocean's Thirteen". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 4, 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  18. ^ "Ocean's Thirteen". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  19. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 10, 2018). "'Ocean's 8' Steals Franchise Record With $41.5M Opening – Final Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  20. ^ Edelstein, David (June 3, 2007). "What Happens in Vegas..." New York. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  21. ^ Dargis, Manohla (June 8, 2007). "They Always Come Out Ahead; Bet on It". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  22. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 7, 2007). "Ocean's Thirteen". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  23. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (June 8, 2007). "Ocean's Thirteen". The Guardian. London. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  24. ^ Register, Orange County Register | Orange County (August 27, 2007). "List of Teen Choice Awards winners". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  25. ^ "People's Choice Awards Past Winners:2008 - pcavote.com". January 11, 2008. Archived from the original on January 11, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  26. ^ McCarthy, Libby (February 20, 2008). "'Sweeney,' 'Glory' win at CDGs". Variety. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  27. ^ "BET Awards 2008 | BET Awards | Shows | BET". BET. November 13, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  28. ^ Russell, Shania (June 29, 2021). "Could There Be An 'Ocean's 14'? It Sounds Like Steven Soderbergh Is Considering It". /Film. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  29. ^ Russian, Ale (July 27, 2021). "Matt Damon Says He'd Return for Ocean's 14 If Director Steven Soderbergh Is Up for It". /Film. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
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