Ocean`s Eleven (Widescreen) (US)

This is a remake of the famous 1961 movie (which I haven`t seen), with a great cast. Alas, most of the cast has nothing to do, since their characters are lifeless entities, whose only purpose is reach the sacred number - eleven.
This feels exactly like each and every episode of "Mission: Impossible", where everything works just fine at the end and you know from the beginning that the good guys will win. Despite the movie being enjoyable (yet not incredible), it is quite predictable and that lessens the enjoyment to some extent.
The video transfer is good. The movie is clean of any defects and no compression signs are visible. The dark scenes are rendered nicely and Las Vegas looks just great, day and night alike.
The DD 5.1 soundtrack is a bit flat. There`s an occasional usage of the surrounds, but they are pretty silent during most of the movie.
The menus are nicely animated with music.
The extras include 2 commentaries (which are actually quite boring), 2 featurettes (again, nothing beyond the ordinary behind the scenes look) and a nice interactive DVD-ROM feature.
Bottom line - an enjoyable way to have a nice evening for "Mission: Impossible" fans.

When I bought this DVD, I really had no expectations. I bought it on the word of a friend who said "its worth buying". He was right.

This movie fits into a category that I simply call `FUN`. Very few recent movies fit into this category. `Star Wars` & `Indy Jones` fit into the very same category. These movies don`t focus as much on the story, as entertaining the audience. Ocean`s Eleven does just that.

Great performances by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Andy Garcia. Julia Roberts has a minor role in the movie as Tess, but not much to see there. *** (out of 4)

Ocean`s Eleven is not meant to be a serious film in anyway and it is just Soderbergh having fun.

A great story, with some fantastic one liners, great picture and sound. Top stuff.

To me, what makes Ocean`s Eleven fun is how it sticks to the basics of a good heist film, while also adding a sense of nostalgia for the films of the 60s and 70s. You`d expect a big Hollywood production with over-acting and special effects when you have an all-star cast on the marquis and an Oscar-winning director at the helm. On the other hand, director Steven Soderbergh established a good formula with his two films, Traffic and Erin Brockovich: the use of grainy film stock and actors who give a no-nonsense, understated, plain-clothed, yet believable performance.

The entire cast does a great job. They come together as one of the most intriguing and entertaining group of characters to grace the screen this year. Rusty Ryan, Ocean`s right hand man, is well-played by Brad Pitt; he fits the role of a card shark and con man perfectly. Matt Damon plays the part of a Chicago pick pocket who has been around con artists his entire life; he has nothing but the legacy of his father when he joins the crew, but quickly becomes a crucial member of Ocean`s plan. Rounding out the cast are Don Cheadle in demolitions, Eddie Jemison in surveillance, Bernie Mac as the "inside man", Elliot Gould as the supplier, Carl Reiner as the veteran, Scott Caan and Casey Afleck as the impostors, and Shaobo Qin as the "grease man". Each character plays a crucial part in the heist, but only Danny knows just how to move each player in this game. By the end of the film, the characters feel more like actual people then simply actors portraying parts. The cast manages to form a bond with the audience that has viewers cheering for the "bad guys".

So great cast, good direction and a classic heist. This is a film you just can`t go wrong with. It`s funny and entertaining with plenty of edge of seat tension. It has it`s high tech moments and its Mission Impossible battling the alarm type thrills. It far exceeds many of it recent predecessors like Entrapment and deserves attention without distraction from the original. Heists don`t get much bigger or better than this.

This is a film packed with stars (George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and. Julia Roberts being the main contenders), and having missed this at the cinema, I was looking forward to seeing it on DVD. At the same time I was worried by all the hype - with everybody & everything telling me what a great film this was, I was sure that I was going to be disappointed. however this was (one of the few occasions) that I was wrong!

A great film, with great performances from all the cast (with the exception of Don Cheadle's appalling accent) - this is a film that everyone can enjoy. Although I was a little disappointed by the extras which I felt could have been a little more substantial… still, can't complain. An excellent film - recommended.

I wasnt expecting anything this good when I was about to watch this movie. Boy was I stunned when I saw this extra slick and fabulous movie. The way everything was done was brilliant. The multi star cast are all brilliant. The sound track and editing are superb. I feel a bit guilty giving it a 10 because its not one of the best films ever but its so brilliant that it deserves nothing less. A great entertainer with a great plot.

For a new release I was quite surprised that the video wasnt quite up to standard. It is a clean anamorphic widescreen transfer but just lacked the usual extra sharp extra crispy picture that one now expects from dvd. Sound was a good DD5.1 but nothing spectacular.

There are a few extras behind the scenes etc. but not enough. The movie demands more.

Overall a great film on a good dvd. Essential Viewing