Common Sense Media Review
Fun but morally gray heist movie celebrates con artists.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Ocean's Eleven
What's the Story?
In OCEAN'S ELEVEN, a loose remake of the 1960 film starring Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, George Clooney plays Sinatra's part, Danny Ocean. Just out of prison, Danny has an idea about robbing three casinos of $150 million. The only problem is that the vault that holds all of their cash is "a security system that rivals that of most nuclear silos." But Danny figures that if he can get a good team together and a bankroll for some equipment, he can make it work, Mission: Impossible-style. So Danny connects with his former partner-in-crime, Rusty (Brad Pitt), and they gather a team of men with various criminal talents.
Is It Any Good?
With enough Hollywood star power to light all the neon signs in Nevada, this is good, old-fashioned, heist film fun. Part of the pleasure of Ocean's Eleven is that we feel like we're listening in on real conversations, possibly even leaning forward as though each of us is in on the deal with them.
One problem, though, is that there are just too many goodies on screen. It's hard to adjust expectations for star turns by the high-wattage cast (which includes Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, and Julia Roberts, to name just a few). There are so many stars that we don't get to spend enough time with any of them. But veterans Elliott Gould and Carl Reiner are magnificent in small roles. And Pitt turns in a performance of effortless charm, subtle and witty, completely in service to the character and yet still movie-star mesmerizing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why heist films like Ocean's Eleven are perennially popular. What do we enjoy so much about seeing a robbery? Is it the fantasy of instant millions? The fun of seeing how they solve the unsolvable logistical problems?
How do the writer and director make us root for the crooks? Is it all in good fun, or is this irresponsible? Why?
Which character did you like the most? How do they all demonstrate teamwork? Why is this an important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 7, 2001
- On DVD or streaming : May 7, 2002
- Cast : Brad Pitt , George Clooney , Matt Damon
- Director : Steven Soderbergh
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language and sexual content
- Last updated : March 25, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate
Summarized with AI