Ocean's Eleven (1960)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Fifteen years after the end of the Second World War Danny Ocean is getting his old squad back together again; not to reminisce about old times but to go on another mission… this time for themselves. Their target will be the city of Las Vegas where, if all goes according to plan, they will rob millions from five casinos on New Year's Eve. Once they have the money their problems are far from over; law enforcement officers have virtually shut the city so getting the money out without being caught will not be easy.This will is rather fun even if we don't learn what the group is planning until almost half way through the film… perhaps a good thing if you watch knowing nothing about it as one might wonder what on earth this group of old war buddies are planning. Frank Sinatra and his fellow Rat Pack friends do a good job as Danny Ocean and his buddies… if you didn't know it isn't obvious that they are better known for singing than acting… although Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr do get to sing a song or two. There are plenty of laughs to be had throughout the film even if a few of the gags have dates somewhat. The heist itself doesn't take very long which and while it is going on there is little sense of real danger which was a bit of a pity; I guess the makers wanted to keep the tone light or possibly I'm unfairly comparing it to the remake that concentrates far more on the actual heist. Overall this was fun but I still preferred the remake.

Ocean's 11 (1960): Dir: Lewis Milestone / Cast: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson: Too many characters introduced too quickly that can likely cause confusion. Setup is inspiring and details a structure regarding eleven men planning and robbing five casinos on New Years Eve. The ending is priceless and director Lewis Milestone does a fine job at keeping viewers interested. However, the cast stumble about with little to do but follow a plan. Frank Sinatra plays Daniel Ocean who heads the scheme while screwing over any chance at true happiness. He is joined by Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and a whole slew of others who felt the need to get rich quick. Not one of these individuals come across as anything other than a famous person trying to make this overrated film more important than it is just by having their name stamped on it. It is a well crafted film in terms of production and direction, but too many characters leave for little development. There is a strong theme dealt with rather amusingly regarding how plans can easily go astray and not exactly turn out as hoped. That is perhaps why the ending is the best aspect of the film. That, and it allows viewers to exit this travesty. Production made out better than the role call of actors where it has become apparent that three is no longer a crowd, eleven is. Score: 6 / 10

If there are any fans of this movie out there I'm sorry, but I didn't think this movie was very good. At all really. The plot was very hard to follow, the acting wasn't that good, and the soundtrack basically consisted of two songs. Ain't That a Kick in the Head by Dean Martin and Eee-O-11 by Sammy Davis Jr. , both of which were played over and over though out the film. By the end of the film, I was so sick of those songs I wanted to scream. And Frank Sinatra didn't sing at all which was kinda the main reason I watched the movie in the first place. To hear him sing. Big disappointment there. But Sinatra was the highlight of the film anyway. I always enjoy his performances, no matter how bad the film itself is. If I were a viewer, I would watch the remake of this film instead. It's made much better and the acting is better as well. I'm sad to say it but this film was kind of a flop.

There is something about heist pictures. Nearly all of them are very good and exciting and of all the genres, it's one of the most consistently good. Think about it--with films like "Rififi", "Grand Slam", "The Italian Job", "The Killing" and "Topkapi" it's easy to find a great heist film. Well, despite my trepidation, it turns out that "Ocean's Eleven" is also another dandy heist film. I say trepidation because I always assumed it was just a vanity project--an excuse for Sinatra and his friends to get together and make a film. Well, while this is true, the film also was quite nice--with a dandy script and nice acting all around.The film's title comes from Frank Sinatra's character's name--Danny Ocean. Danny is organizing a bunch of his old war buddies to commit the ultimate robbery--to simultaneously hit the five big casinos in Vegas. The planning is meticulous, the heist comes off without a hitch--but you KNOW with a film like this SOMETHING will go wrong, and by the end, that's exactly what happens. See it for yourself and you'll know what I mean.I really liked the movie. Although this WAS a bunch of friends getting together to make a film, they obviously cared to make a good one. The great twist ending sure helped but it also was nice that they gathered such an amazing ensemble cast. Well worth seeing--particularly so you can hear Sammy Davis deliver the line: "I knew this color would come in handy one day". Watch the film--you'll understand why it's so funny.