Ocean's 8 Review: 5 Ups And 4 Downs

The Oceans are back in the game.

Oceans 8 Poster
Warner Bros.

In less capable hands, Ocean's 8 could've been another sizeable bust like the 2016 Ghostbusters was. After all, here's another example of a reboot for a beloved franchise seeking to gender-swap the main roles as a way of continuing the series with new faces on-screen. Thankfully, Ocean's 8 never allows itself to be hampered by any gender politics and resisted any vitriolic dealings with fans to simply focus on the movie and the great cast assembled.

Because of this, you're able to enjoy the movie presented to you without any outside controversies hurting the experience. And yes, there's a good amount to appreciate about this viewing experience. Ocean's 8 serves as a quality example of how to continue a series in a new direction without alienating old fans. It's fast-paced, full of charm (thanks to many talented actresses) and a worthy addition to the Ocean's series.

Director/writer Gary Ross effectively emulates the feel of the Ocean's franchise without completely relying on the reputation of past films. It does fall short of its promise, especially considering the potential with its cast and opportunity for a fresh start. Here's hoping they take certain critiques and ideas to help freshen up the next installment so that Ocean's 9 (which, with Ocean's 8 franchise-best opening weekend, is sure to happen) can hold its own among the original 1960 film and the Steven Soderbergh trilogy.

To start, let's go over what the film didn't do so well...

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Contributor

Gamer, movie lover, life-long supporter of Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man and Ben Affleck's Batman, you know the rest.