Parents' Guide to Ocean's Thirteen

The easy camaraderie among the major players remains the most predictably entertaining aspect of the film. That's particularly true of Danny's relationship with Rusty (Brad Pitt), which refers in-jokingly to the actors' famous friendship. (A couple of times, Ocean's Thirteen drops you into their conversation midway, without back-story or explanation, so that punch-lines seem both unknowable and strangely satisfying, as in Rusty's apparently clever rejoinder: "I said, 'What do I look like, a pancake eater?'"). Other relationships are less enjoyable. Since Linus (Matt Damon) is working through rather conventional "issues" with his father (an old-school con man), he offers to be the designated seducer of Willie's "right hand man," who's actually a woman -- Abigail Spooner (Ellen Barkin). With Danny's wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), absent for this outing, Spooner is the designated girl, and, unfortunately, she seems quite desperate -- both to please her boss and to find sensual pleasure with "younger men" -- making her look more foolish than smart. Similarly, the film makes raucous fun of a hotel reviewer (David Paymer), who the schemers abuse mercilessly with rashes, tainted food, and more.

Each conniver gets a moment in the spotlight, as per formula: Frank (Bernie Mac) runs a dominos table, Basher (Don Cheadle) swaggers as an Evel Knievel-style motorcycle stunt rider, and the moral-minded Malloy brothers (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan) encourage a workers' demonstration in Mexico before ensuring the manufacture of trick dominos for Frank's game. By the time the crew enlists the help of former foe Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), the 122-minute running time is wearing thin, which makes the big climax a little less exciting.