The film stars Sandra Bullock (Speed) as Danny Ocean's younger sister Debbie, who has spent the last five years in jail planning a heist. She brings her partner Lou (Cate Blanchett; Carol) in on the plan and the two begin to put together the perfect team for their heist including Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2), Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway; The Dark Knight Rises), Nine Ball (Rhianna; Home), Amita (Mindy Kaling; The Office), Constance (Awkwafina; Crazy Rich Asians) and Tammy (Sarah Paulson; American Horror Story). The plan is to steal a six pound Cartier diamond necklace while attending the Met Gala in New York City. Just like her brother, Debbie and the crew manage to pull off the heist without finding themselves in jail, but not without some obstacles along the way.
Taking over directing duties for this soft reboot is Gary Ross (The Hunger Games). While the film was directing skillfully, it appears to have taken a "by-the-numbers" approach rather than the jazzy/hip/avant-guard style that Steven Soderbergh (Contagion) did for Ocean's Twelve and Thirteen. While this was a deliberate decision by Ross as to give the film its own style, it seems to just reduce the overall impact of the film by just creating a sleek looking presentation that isn't much different than anything else coming to theaters today.
While the stylization might be missing from Ocean's 8 the cast is one of the best assembled seen to date and dare I say better than the cast that was featured in Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen. Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway prove there is a reason that they are considered part of Hollywood's A-list of actors. They are both on the mark for every scene. Each time they are showcased in the film their presence fills the screen for you to fully enjoy their acting. The others in the cast, Paulson, Carter, Blanchett, Awkwafina, Rhianna, Kaling offer performances that are some of the best they have ever given, and the entire cast seems to just be having a great time with their respective roles, which shines throughout the film.
Ocean's 8 is presented in 2160p. With the film being finished in 2K the upgraded resolution is really not that noticeable in the feature film. However, the UHD and Dolby Vision upgrade truly makes the film pop! The gala at The Met looks simply stunning. Every color possible from all the dresses and jewelry light up your tv set and make you feel like you are at the ball itself. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack used throughout the film does a good job of using the height factor of this new audio platform, but the surround speakers are underutilized at times which is understandable as this is more of a comedy caper which usually doesn't take advantage of full emersion sound such as an action film would. Such is the case the audio quality will be decent to most, but audiophiles might find it a bit lacking.
While there aren't too many features in the set the ones contained show a great insight into the characters and the overall process of making the film. These special features include:
- A Heist in Heels: The cast, along with director Gary Ross, discuss their roles in the film.
- Ocean's Team 3.0: This feature looks at each of the 8 characters in the film.
- Reimagining the Met Gala: take a look at what went into recreating the famous Met Gala for the film.
- Deleted Scenes
Ocean's 8 is a solid reboot with an amazing cast that looks like they had a great time on and off the set. The women are sharp and at no time will one be bored with this film. The only glaring omission is the stylization that was almost a character unto itself in the past Oceans films.
Grade: B+
