Fantastic, but i preferred the trailers! (James Bond - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Ultimate Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: guyfeatherstone

Product:	James Bond - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Ultimate Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	06/03/02 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, Great cast, Sheer class

Disadvantages: Things happen too fast, Could have made more out of it

I personally had been subject to a lot of hype over this film and literally couldn't wait to see it. Both the television and radio ads for it (as well as the cinema trailers) were, in my view, incredible.
"The heist of the century" - seemingly impossible to pull off but these 12 guys might just be mad enough to pull it off.
The incredible cast of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon and of course Julia Roberts seems to set this film up to be brilliant, and yes, i did love it.

In order to briefly give the plot, the following is the brief overview taken from the official Warner Brother's site for the film:

"Dapper Danny Ocean (GEORGE CLOONEY) is a man of action. Less than 24 hours into his parole from a New Jersey penitentiary, the wry, charismatic thief is already rolling out his next plan. Following three rules — don't hurt anybody, don't steal from anyone who doesn't deserve it, and play the game like you've got nothing to lose — Danny orchestrates the most sophisticated, elaborate casino heist in history.

In one night, Danny's handpicked 11-man crew of specialists — including an ace card sharp (BRAD PITT), a master pickpocket (MATT DAMON) and a demolition genius (DON CHEADLE) — will attempt to steal over $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict (ANDY GARCIA), the elegant, ruthless entrepreneur who just happens to be dating Danny's ex-wife Tess (JULIA ROBERTS).

Coincidence or motive? Only Danny knows for sure. To score the cash, he'll have to risk his life and his chance of reconciling with Tess. But if it all goes according to Danny's intricate, nearly impossible plan, he won't have to choose between his stake in the heist and his high-stakes reunion with Tess…or will he?"


I do think Soderbergh could have squeezed a tad more out of this particular lemon. He had the acting
down to a tee. THe smooth combination of Clooney and Pitt as the masterminds behind the heist definately worked, combined with the slick appeal of the 'bad guy' - Andy Garcia. The sheer appeal of these characters - their clothing, actions and general appearance is a key factor in this film.
These are some seriously cool "smooth operators"

This is a big plot to get over to the viewer in a couple of hours. The intricacy of the plot alone could take ages to explain so Soderbergh doesn't bother with the planning, only the execution, which, to an extent at least, works. BUT, you are kind of suddenly thrust into the whole operation. They suddenly seem to be going head first into this huge heist just like that. We don't know the full extent of the character's personas to be able to establish a good enough contact with them. Soderbergh could do more to bring the viewer into the story rather than have us on the outside looking in.

This said, this is definately a cracking film. Not an oscar winner, not one that will be remembered, but an all round funny, active and reasonable absorbing film.
A definate thumbs up, but could have been better!

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