Director Gary Ross’ 2018 revamp of the classic Ocean’s Eleven hit box offices this June, drawing old fans and new. The film tails Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), younger sister of the original film’s hero Danny Ocean, as she follows in her brother’s footsteps and plans the most elaborate heist of her day.
With the help of her partner-in-crime Lou (Cate Blanchett), Ocean gathers an eclectic, all-female team to pull off a jewelry heist at the famed Met Gala. The film hosts a diverse cast of woman as they steal billion-dollar jewels, tamper with security cameras, and, of course, sport some killer fashions.
While Ocean’s 8 had the prospects to be an entertaining and empowering film for audiences of all genders, it falls–disappointingly–short. More of a faux “girl power” movie, the film lacks any substantial depth to the plot, characters, or feminist themes it attempts to tackle.
The only thing this film didn’t lack was name-dropping, which was in abundance. Casting such big-names as Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, and Rihanna, director Gary Ross may have sacrificed quality over quantity. Having countless shots of these women in flashy coats and sunglasses is fine–but not enough to fully make the movie worth watching.
This doesn’t mean Ocean’s 8 wasn’t a good movie; it just wasn’t a great one–and it definitely wasn’t the female-centered heist-movie audiences were waiting for. So if you’re looking for aesthetically pleasing backdrops and the faint aura of feminism, Ocean’s 8 may be the movie for you–just don’t expect anything more than that.