Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

I'm not exactly sure why, but one or two people on the planet we're real big fans of OCEAN'S TWELVE. I happened to think it was a scream, and even upon a repeat viewing recently I was captivated by the free-for-all attitude of the piece. It was always my feeling that the whole point behind the OCEAN'S series is that director Steven Soderbergh and his marvelous collection of mega stars and lesser-known actors was this playful, unconventional approach to storytelling.

The scripts were always loose, while the stories were complex (or at least pretended to be complex), but the real point of the plot was to give the actors a place to show us that they could be goof balls and look great doing it. I love that throughout these films, we catch the ends of conversations or just the punchline of a joke, leaving us to wonder what the hell these guys were talking about that led them to that particular line of dialog. Forcing your imagination to run wild like that over things that have nothing to do with the main storyline is just one of the reasons I've enjoyed this series so much. Oh, and I should probably mention at this point that OCEAN'S THIRTEEN is far and away the best of the bunch.

Just to give a quick overview of the proceeding (the fun of this film is in the details, and I'm not spoiling those), the gang is re-assembled in Las Vegas once again, this time to avenge a swindle perpetrated against one of their own (Elliott Gould's Reuben) by the city's most powerful and feared hotel giant Willie Bank (young newcomer Al Pacino, sporting a hair color that scares me in its Trump-like manner). He's about to open the most ornate and exclusive hotel on the strip (The Bank, which is beautifully CG'd right into the heart of Vegas). The gang is warned that revenge scams are dangerous, but they are determined not so much to rob Bank of his wealth for their own gains, but simply ruin him as a businessman by rigging nearly every gambling game in his casino at the Grand Opening so that the house never wins. So, where are Tess Ocean (played by Julia Roberts in the first two films) and Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta Jones)? In one line of dialog, we are told that this is not their fight. Nothing else needs to be said on the matter, and their presence is not missed.

I find it ironic that my biggest complaint about other three-quels this summer has been the overcrowding of their stories. But for some reason the fairly crowded OCEAN'S THIRTEEN doesn't feel too bloated. The characters are stepping over each other, and each crewmember's storyline is largely kept separate from the others as they work on their part of the scam against bank. By removing two key players from the last film (Roberts and Jones) and replacing them with Pacino and his right-hand bombshell Ellen Barkin, the cast size really hasn't grown at all. And there are a few unexpected players in this film, some of whom appeared in previous films and whose presence hasn't exactly been advertised. Do yourself a favor, and don't go to IMDB to ruin the fun.

One of the more impressive plot points is bringing Andy Garcia's Terry Benedict back into the fold as a part of the scam against Bank (the gang needs his financial backing). It's not surprising that he'd want to bury a competitor, but don't think for a second he's not looking for a way to get back at Ocean even while he's assisting them.

I've gone this far without mentioning George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon or any of the other regulars, all of whom absolutely rock here. For some reason, it's always Damon's characterization of the insecure Linus that I find most fascinating. He's so desperate to prove himself and rise from the shadow of his legendary, previously unseen father (who is finally revealed here) that he provides a nice counterbalance to the cocky nature of the some of his comrades. In other words, he's the most human. But putting Clooney and Pitt in a room together always makes me laugh. You probably have seen the scene in the trailer where Rusty (Pitt) catches Danny (Clooney) in his hotel room watching "Oprah." But that's just the beginning of a scene that gets funnier by the second. And in the film's final moment, which takes place at an airport, these two men deliver one line of dialog apiece aimed at each other that will make your ears do a doubletake.

I have to give director Soderbergh credit for getting a fairly subdued performance out of Al Pacino, whose volume rarely gets above normal conversational levels. The only thing scarier that a dangerous man screaming is one who isn't, and that's how Pacino plays Bank. Of course the film gets silly and outrageous, but that's part of its charm. It makes the ridiculous seem plausible and even preferable. I know that Soderbergh and Co. have said they made this film to make up for any shortcomings the last one may have had, and that they wanted to go out on a high note. If that's the case, mission accomplished.

But this is one of the few franchises I would love to see continue. Every element of this movie works in perfect unison with every other. It's like watching a well-choreographed dance routine or having perfect, well-timed sex. OCEAN'S THIRTEEN is as carefree as it is ambitious, and its nearly two-hour running time flies by in an instant. When it's over, you'll find yourself desperate for more. All sequels should try this hard to be great.

Capone