The Nun Is Full Of Jump Scares But Lacks True Suspense And Thrills

     

       The 2018 fall movie season brought some key box office smash hits such as Venom, the long-awaited Halloween sequel, which ultimately proved to be a faithful follow-up to the original, and Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born which he directed and co-starred with Lady Gaga. The film that kicked off the fall movie season last year however, was a spin-off of the popular Conjuring franchise titled The Nun. The Nun had a strong opening of 53 million due to the anticipation for it being connected with the rest of the series. It's CinemaScore rating however landed at a C, being the lowest ranking of the series thus far. Being the fifth film in the Conjuring universe while serving as a spin-off of The Conjuring 2, the story was written by James Wan and Gary Dauberman with Dauberman penning the films script. Is the film really as bad as its mixed to negative reviews make it out to be? Compared to the Conjuring films, The Nun though mildly entertaining, lacks true scares and relies on cheap jump scares to frighten its audience without much form of creativity and suspense. Despite not being as well told as the films its story is loosely attached to, the movie still offers reasonable entertainment for those who manage to get scared easily.

The plot for The Nun takes place in Romania 1952 and centers around a haunted Roman Catholic priest (Played by Demian Bichr) and a young novitiate (Played by Taissa Farmiga) in the final phase of taking her vows as a nun, end up being summoned by the Vatican to Transylvannia to investigate the suicide of a Romanian nun. Upon doing so, they soon realize that both their faith and lives are at stake upon discovering a powerful demonic presence named "Valek" with unholy secrets being revealed. The Nun can best be summed up as The Conjuring's attempt at turning it's universe into a horror movie style MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), that's also tied to the Annabelle films and The Curse Of La Lorna. Despite being loosely connected to the Conjuring films, The Nun conducts its own story and does so with a lack of passion and genuine creativity in regards to making it truly effective. The film is never truly scary, and feels like it could've been something much better if more thought and effort was put into it. The film relies far too much on jump scares rather than building a steady, tense and creepy atmosphere, that proved to do much of the work in terms of terrifying the audience with The Conjuring films. What this film needed was James Wan to helm it himself as he would've not only provided the atmosphere needed to make the story more effective, but limited the jump scares throughout the film so when they happened, they not only worked but rightfully took a backseat to the story. The fact that the film utilized an excessive amount of jump scares, shows that there wasn't much else on the surface in terms of really creepy out the audience. The films acting performances, visual style of the film, and music essentially carry it where the writing and directing struggles and underwhelms.

      Despite the films troubles with its script and style of directing, the acting performances help to make up for those shortcomings. Demian Bichir delivers a strong and classy performance as Father Burke, bringing a likable presence to the character. Taissa Farmiga shines as sister Irene, showing strong chemistry between her and Bichir with the two working off each other very well. Jonas Bloquet does very well playing Frenchie, not only getting some of the films best lines but working off Farmiga and Birchir. He helps make the three feel like ideal casting choices, who feel perfect for their roles. Bloquet steals the show and his character has a nice tie-in to the Conjuring movies at the end. Bonnie Aarons does a solid job playing The Nun with her character being creepy and effective when appearing on the big screen. Ingrid Bisu delivers a nice supporting role with Charlotte Hope and Sandra Teles as Sisters Victoria and Abigail with surprise cameo performances from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga from The Conjuring series, to bridge the stories together for the sake of continuity. As the whole, the cast is one of the strongest aspects of the film as the main actors work great off each other and feel natural as a small group. The decision to keep the films main cast small and focus on the key characters, was a smart move allowing for more depth and character growth to take over with the three main characters of the film (Father Burke, Sister Irene, and Frenchie) sharing a strong dynamic with great chemistry as a trio. The minor characters are effective when they appear mainly because they remind viewers as well as signify that something evil is near. When Bichir, Farmiga, and Bloquet are together in a scene, the film works and manages to be entertaining, saving it from the rest of its issues.

      In terms of the films directing and writing, Corin Hardy takes over the directing reigns and does a serviceable job with helming the story although he's no James Wan in terms of building up the suspense with the films story. Hardy creates a somewhat effective atmosphere, that includes the main characters walking around old and spooky castles with dark atmospheres, foggy graveyards, creepy religious imagery, a scene involving a snake coming out of a main characters mouth, and an abbey that comes across as feeling like a haunted mansion. The film has all the right elements present to make for a great horror movie, which makes it a shame it doesn't reach its maximum potential. The art-set decoration and cinematography are impressive making it a well-shot film that's visually striking to watch. The films gothic design helps make it a wild experience that goes in line with the strange creatures that pop up. The film definitely takes a less realistic and more fantastical approach than the Conjuring films, making it feel uneven with those movies. Examples are the different forms the demon takes which often make the whole scenario feel rather silly at times along with too many CGI monsters being used. The film has an hour and a half running time, that moves relatively slow enough to let the plot and characters unfold though not much happens outside of the forced jump scares for the first two thirds of the movie. The screenplay by Gary Dauberman is basic with it feeling padded with the first two acts feeling like filler until the films third act, with nothing major happening within the earlier portions of the film other than one jump scare appearing after another. There is nothing in this movie that the audience hasn't seen before with familiar subplots such as a gateway to hell presented in the story once again, the demon needing a human form to take, the past haunting the main characters, the story and screenplay don't give the audience nothing new which is underwhelming. The characters are put in situations where they shouldn't survive but somehow they always manage to do so which becomes less suspenseful after awhile cause the audience automatically assumes they'll survive because their the main characters. The films humor was a notable approach, but is ultimately a case of being hit and miss with moments where it works and other moments where it feels like it doesn't belong in the scene. The films soundtrack is top notch though and helps to enhance the presence of The Nun, making her still come across as looking powerful though less scary since she appears quite frequently in the film  which further diminishes the scare factor of her character. One wonders how much more effective her character would've been if she was shown less like the shark in Jaws.

       The Nun is not a terrible movie nor is it a great horror movie. It just falls in within the category of being ok with a reasonable level of entertainment value. It could've been a stronger horror flick had the story been further fleshed out and the movie being more creative with its moments of scares. What makes a horror movie great is not that we know the scares are coming, its the fear of the unknown and catching the audience by surprise, that makes horror movies work. The fact that the audience knows the jump scare is coming and the movie being self-aware that we know makes it less thrilling and more standard cause we know what to expect. The overuse of the scare tactic involving the camera showing there's nothing behind the main character, pans away, then pans back to reveal that something is behind them can only be done so many times before its robbed of its effect. The film though mildly entertaining, clearly misses having James Wan's directorial hand on the project and ultinately suffers because of that lack of creativity and drive to present something new. The Nun feels like a standard horror movie spin-off, which has moments where it works largely thanks to the films mood, the strong acting performances from its cast, the music, and intriguing premise though one wishes they tried harder to give the audience something fresher. If jump scares are what you want, this is the movie for you as they are planted everywhere in the film. If one wants a more well-crafted horror story, that puts style and atmosphere first with a strong story then the first two Conjuring films are worth watching. The Nun is dark and had potential to be great, but just settles for being mediocre entertainment.

Final Verdict: For fans of The Conjuring series, it's a worth a watch. For regular horror fans, the Conjuring films are more worthy of your time.

              

The Predator Greatly Suffers From The Lack Of Arnold Schwarzenegger And John McTiernans Involvement

  

      No Predator movie can ever hope to be on the same level as it's 1987 original classic directed by Die Hard filmmaker John McTiernan and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. While not immediately well-received by critics upon it's release, Predator became a cult-classic over time with the franchise never being able to fully recapture the magic that film had on moviegoers. Predator 2 proved to be a huge step down from the previous film in regards to quality with Predators being a sizable improvement, as well as a noble attempt at bringing the franchise back to form. Up until the release of The Predator, fans were hoping that the new entry in the series would be the one to restore the franchise back to it's glory days. The Predator not only received terrible reviews but was a box office disappointment. Watching the film, it becomes clear why this movie failed as the story makes little to no sense in terms of the franchises continuity and leaves audiences wondering one thing: Where the hell was Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McTiernan and why weren't they involved with this?

      The Predators story revolves around an alien crash landing on planet Earth with a second alien arriving to retrieve it's vessel and equipment, with both fighting a motley group of former soldiers. They are both aided by a young boy, whose able to hack into the Predator's devices. The best way to describe the new Predator film, is that the whole thing comes across as being one big missed opportunity. This movie had the potential to put the series back on track if it had the right elements behind it. Those elements would be bringing back Schwarzenegger, John McTiernan, and having a story that connects to the first film while expanding on it. The story for The Predator makes very little sense and feels awkward when looking at the rest of the series. The action for Predator is there but feels hollow when taking into account the audience doesn't have an ounce of care towards the characters in this film with the film being chalked up as another major disappointment in a series that started off strong. The original 1987 Predator, was a product of it's time that was packaged extremely well. It capitalized on the 1980's macho style action movies, which carried not only the top movie stars at the time but explosions, an innovative story with a new creature never seen before, and a young up and coming director, who held a steady hand in terms of directing action flicks as John McTiernan later went onto make classics such as Die Hard, The Hunt For Red October, and Last Action Hero. Predator had all the elements that made an action movie work at the time including a strong script that included rewrites by Shane Black. So far, no director has been able to recapture the feel of the original with Predators coming the closest. The biggest let down with the new film, is the fact that it still fails to deliver even with the return of Shane Black at the helm, who not only starred in the first Predator but did uncredited rewrites to its script. One can definitely tell that Black is excited to be back with the series, but also can see he doesn't exactly know where to go with the film as the movie feels like it's all over the place story- wise with energy and excitement present, but a lack of structure and heart. The films biggest problem is not that it isn't capable of telling a compelling story, it's that it can but doesn't know which direction it wants to go with the series. Black throws everything at the screen in hopes that something will stick and bring back some element of the first movie that people loved but the story is way too confusing and makes little sense given the rest of the series, to be taken seriously. The case with this film is upsetting as it has elements present to make a good movie as well as being a potentially worthy sequel, but the end result just comes across as being silly and depressing given what this could've been.

      In the films acting department, Olivia Munn is the star of the show this time and does a serviceable job with her role as an evolutionary biologist, who also happens to be one of the films most down to earth characters along with being less cartoonish than her other co-stars. She does the best she can with what she's given though she feels out of place and miscast given what this film is a sequel to. Boyd Holbrook from Logan, shines as Quinn though his character suffers from poor writing much like the rest of the cast. Jake Busey's presence in the film is welcomed though his screentime is minimal. Jacob Tremblay does well playing Quinn's son, who ends up aiding the Predators. The supporting cast playing the group of former soldiers are one of the few main highlights of the film with Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, and Augusto Afuilera turning in performances, that bring much needed fun and energy to the film. One can only imagine what their performances as a group would look like if they had a different script to play off. Sterling K. Brown does reasonably well playing the films secondary antagonist outside of the predator, though his character is poorly written and comes across as feeling rather generic. Outside of the messy script and misguided direction the film takes, the cast remains one of the films strongest points as the actors do the absolute best job they can with the material handed to them.

      The films directing and writing by Shane Black is a mixed and ultimately uneven bag as the film had the potential to match as well as upgrade the style of the first Predator along with Predators. Blacks directing for the most part feels like it's all over the place with the film giving a couple of decent moments of B- movie thrills with the movies visuals effects being one of the few saving graces of the film. On a visual level, the movie is top notch and is a well-shot film with strong cinematography. On a writing level, the movie literally falls apart due to the lack of confidence in regards to what it wants to be. Black gives this one more of a satirical feel to it, almost feeling as if it's poking fun at the series, which is the exact opposite of the first movie as that film masterfully built up it's suspense, tension, characters, and action. The original had moments of humor but not excessive like the way The Predator uses it's jokes to confuse the tone of the film. Whereas the original Predator knew exactly what type of film it wanted to be, The Predator feels like it isn't exactly sure if it wants to be a serious Sci-Fi action movie or a comedy with science fiction elements. The use of Arnold's lines from the original film such as "Get to the Choppa," are delivered with less enthusiasm than what it would've came across had he been present to say it himself again. Black's writing also confuses the audience as there wasn't much of a relevance to the story with having a dogfight with two Predator dogs. The concept of a kid accidentally contacting the Predators and leading them to Earth makes little to no sense, making the story feel light-headed despite having the R-rated moments of the original film such as the violence, the gore, and action. Whereas the original Predator might've benefitted from Black's contributions as a script polisher, he feels like the absolute wrong choice to be both the writer and director of this movie.

      The difference between John McTiernans Predator and Shane Black's The Predator, is McTiernans film had an aspect to it where the actors we're having fun making the movie, but the film always maintained a serious and straight-forward narrative, that allowed it to steadily build up it's characters, action, suspense, and the iconic stature of its main villain. The key to that films success was that the audience simply didn't know what to expect going in as they've never seen the Predator before. The film had a main character it could get behind as a hero and a villain they could fear and not want to come across. The Predator has neither of those elements and carries with it messy screenwriting, an uneven narrative, almost zero character development, and excessive humor that throws off the tone of the film and ultimately confuses the viewer. The failure of this film is a tragedy because it had the resources and potential to be a true sequel to the original had it been handled right with a different filmmaker. One hopes that they'll cease on making anymore Predator movies until they decide to get Schwarzenegger and McTiernan back. Even if McTiernan isn't the director of the extra film, he should still return as producer and handpick a capable director, who can bring magic back to the series in a approach similar to Halloween 2018 and Terminator: Dark Fate with James Cameron serving as Producer and Co-writer after helming the first two films with Deadpool director Tim Miller helming the new film. Perhaps an approach like that would be what the Predator franchise needs in order to restore credibility back to the series as this film sadly can be chalked up as another missed opportunity in a series, that continues it's trend of largely disappointing it's fans once again.

Final Verdict: If you're a fan of the original Predator, rewatch that film and skip this one. You really wouldn't be missing much.

The Meg Delivers Reasonable Fun Despite Feeling Like A Missed Opportunity

      

      The 2018 summer movie box office season was dominated by blockbuster sequels such as Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool ll, The Incredibles ll, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Ant Man And The Wasp, and Mission Impossible: Fallout. One of the more interesting movies to come out last summer and turned into a huge success was The Meg. a 2018 science fiction action film starring Jason Statham, that's loosely based on the 1997 novel titled Meg: A Novel Of Deep Terror By Steve Alten. After spending years in development hell, the films rights went from The Walt Disney Studios to Warner Brothers Pictures before finally being greenlighted in 2015. The Meg ended up being a Chinese-American co-production grossing over $530 million worldwide with reviews being mixed from both critics and audiences. Putting the movies box office success aside, The Meg works best as being an extremely fun B- movie, that was made with the sole purpose of delivering popcorn entertainment to its audience. The film is no Jaws but it never tries to be as its tone is meant to be cheesier, requiring that the audience shut their brains off when watching it. For some, that won't be enough as more substance is needed in order to be satisfied. For others The Meg works best as being throwaway fun though comes across as feeling like a missed opportunity.

      The plot for The Meg takes place five years after a deadly attack centering around a Megalodon shark originally thought to be extinct. The resurgence of the giant shark prompts a group of scientists led by Jason Statham, to try and stop the enormous animal with tragedy striking them along the way. The Meg feels like a flick, that could've easily been a vehicle which starred Dwayne Johnson as the films main lead since it feels like the type of the film he would star in. Instead we get Jason Statham, whose more than a worthy successor to take the main role in an action movie like this. The film is overall is fun to watch as an enjoyable B- creature flick as it has an appealing cast to go with the films main star such as the Megalodon. The problem with the flick is despite it being cheesy fun, it lacks genuine suspense and thrills to build up the anticipation that the Megalodon is coming. What helps it is not just the impressive special effects, but the appeal of Statham as the main lead. He manages himself well here with a character he can play off of whose a mixture of a scientist overcoming grief turned action hero. The film is also elevated by its strong set and creature designs with music that makes up for the lack of suspense, breathing life to the shark attacks. The films pacing keeps the film going with audiences being distracted by what's on the screen instead of questioning the films logic and plot. The films lack of tension is made up by the energy and enthusiasm its cast brings to the table as well as the films crew putting together a nice sea monster, that manages to keep audiences engaged for the most part.

      In terms of acting performances, the cast here does a strong job and gives the impression that they're having a ball with the story their bringing to the big screen. Jason Statham is the star of the film and brings his action star charisma to the role. He's in top form here and delivers some solid action sequences, making him the ideal choice for the main role. Bingbing Li delivers a strong job playing Suyin, Oceanographer and love interest to Statham's character as she helps him save the crew trapped underwater while catching the Megalodon. Rainn Wilson does a good job playing Jack Morris, one of the films main antagonists outside of the giant shark. Wilson does well playing both the selfish and sarcastic greedy billionaire, who finances the organization called Zhang Oceanic. Cliff Curtis does well playing Statham's character Mac's old friend Jonas, he doesn't have as much to do here as the other main actors but makes the best with what he's given. Other notable performances come from Winston Chao as the leader of the Zhang Oceanic laboratory and father of Suying. Jessica McNamee as Mac's ex Lori, Ruby Rose as generic tough girl Jaxx Herd, Page Kennedy as DJ, the generic black dude in a horror movie that screams and says silly lines in hopes of making the audience laugh, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Robert Taylor, and Heroe's Masi Oka in a small yet notable role as one of the underwater crewmen. The ensemble cast as a whole makes the film much more entertaining than what it would've turned out had the cast been less appealing and diverse. Everyone brings their A game here and work beautifully off each other regardless of the films script issues which includes many of the characters coming across as being stereotypical archetypes in a typical monster flick.

      As far as the directing goes, Jon Turteltaub is no Spielberg in terms of making a crafty shark movie, but it also felt as if he wasn't trying to compete with that film and chose instead to go for shock value rather than deep elaboration of the films characters and story. The film relies on shock value regarding the films monster and reasonable amount of gore to draw its audience into fearing the Megalodon, though the gore is restrained to allow for a wider audience to view the story with its PG-13 rating. Turtletaub for the most part does an effective job in steering the ship, though he fails in making the story truly memorable for audiences as there's no real suspense or tension present to leave audiences at the edge of their seat. The Megalodon though impressive and huge, often feels as if it's thrown at the audience with the implication being thrown at the audience such as there's the shark now get scared with little effort in doing so. The film is lacking a stamp which would make it distinct from the other typical monster movies, that surround it regarding oceanic monsters. The films cinematography by Tom Stern is both crisp and clear making it an experience, that would be visually stunning to watch on a big screen, preferrably IMAX. The character Suyin has a visually striking sequence where her character is on the ocean floor and comes across a giant Squid, who then comes across the giant Megalodon. It's moments like these where the movie shows it has a pulse and what could've been even more of a wild ride had the director pushed the limits harder. The moments on the films ocean floor are a breathtaking sight adding to the films visuals flare. The films score by Harry Gregson-Williams is strong and effective, often carrying the film when the moments of suspense and tension are in short supply.

       The screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber is standard for this type of monster flick with generic scientist characters delivering a vague backstory to the audience regarding the Megalodons origins. All the side characters feel like their just there to move the story along without actually taking on a life of their own despite the appealing actors playing them. Statham's character is the only one that actually appears to have a reasonable amount of depth as his character initially refuses to go back in the water due to the grief of having to make a tough decision to sacrifice the lives of part of his previous crew in order to save the rest otherwise they all would've died. The subplot involving Mac being brought back into the water to save his ex-wife, was a good move except the subplot is rendered useless after awhile due to the characters blossoming romance with Suying. Wilson's character Jack feels like a rich version of the character of Quint from Jaws, rude, selfish, and eager to catch the shark with both men being outsmarted by the opposite species in the end. The Meg's script feels like a mixture of interesting ideas, that are meshed together and ultimately unfinished though somehow it manages to work as being average popcorn entertainment due to the way Statham and Turtletaub package the film. Who doesn't get a kick out of seeing Jason Statham ride a prehistoric sea animal?

      Basically when it comes down to the level of enjoyment The Meg delivers, those who enjoyed Deep Blue Sea will find enjoyment with this movie. Like that film, The Meg is fast-paced, silly, absurd, and yet it manages to still be fun and entertaining on the conditions that one doesn't take it too seriously. The film isn't as well-built nor as creative as recent shark pics such as The Shallows and 47 Meters Down in terms of building suspense. The film isn't as well-crafted as a film like Crawl but it delivers in being an entertaining yet forgettable popcorn ride with Statham helping to elevate the film with his skills as an action star. If one is looking for something to entertain them for nearly two hours without the plot being too complexed and just wanting good old fashioned spectacle then this is that film. The Meg can be enjoyed for offering audiences a temporary escape from reality though should not be taken as a serious form of entertainment. The film is no Jaws and feels like it never attempts to be anything more than just cheesy fun. Perhaps that's the best way to look at the film as there isn't much else outside of the appeal of it's main star and the Megalodon itself, which steals the show whenever it's on the big screen. This film can only be taken as seriously as one views 1999's Deep Blue Sea. Whatever one thought of that film, that's what they will think of The Meg ultimately. The film ultimately serves as being one big missed opportunity as it could've been something really cool to watch on the big screen. With the budget this film had (170 million), and the fact that much of the films gore was cut down to secure a PG-13 rating, this movie should've taken the risks and embraced it's B- nature in terms of being even more over-the-top and ridiculous if it wasn't going to go the Jaws route and try to be something with substance. Instead what audiences get is a mediocre and disappointing action flick, that's not terrible but it's not great. It just falls in line of being forgettable entertainment.

Final Verdict: If you want throwaway popcorn entertainment, this is the film for you. If you want something more complexed and character driven with it's story while having the element of surprise in terms of a shark attacking human, watch Jaws instead.

Ocean's 8's Is An Entertaining yet Forgettable Caper Flick Made Watchable Due To Its Cast

      Whereas 2016 Ghostbusters respectfully tried and failed to reboot its series for a new generation of audiences with the same storyline remaining intact with the key twist of the film being the swapping of the main characters gender, Ocean's 8 follows in that films footsteps and hopes to get further in terms of being successful. The reaction to Ghostbusters switching the genders of the main characters while ignoring the ones from the previous films sparked an intense backlash, that led to many criticizing the reboot before and after its release. While the film did reasonably well at the box office, it failed to make back it's production cost and the series is being rebooted in 2020 with a reboot tying it closer to the legacy of the first two Ghostbusters films. With the Oceans franchise, the team behind Ocean's 8 chose to go down the same path as the new Ghostbusters and reboot the heist team with a stellar all female cast, that includes the likes of Oscar Winners Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway along with music superstars such as Rhianna. Like Ghostbusters, the story for Ocean's 8 remains the same with a major heist taking place with the main difference being the genders of the main characters are switched from male to female (They connect Sandra Bullock character to George Clooney's in Oceans Eleven by making her Danny's brother with Danny being deceased in this film). Ocean's 8 like the new Ghostbusters, strives to bring fresh air to both series that essentially burnt out with the previous films before them. Whereas 2016's Ghostbusters had the first two successful films before it, Ocean's 8 comes off what felt like an open and shut heist trilogy, that clearly peaked at the first Oceans. Does Ocean's 8 succeed in rebooting the popular heist franchise and getting the series off the ground once again? Yes and no, Ocean's 8 is entertaining as a heist film but it's too similar to the past movies and feels like the plot is recycled with a female cast to make it truly feel brand new. As a film, it's entertaining and fun for the specific audience it aims for. As a reboot to the series, it doesn't have the charm nor spontaneous feel that came with the previous films, particularly the first Oceans movie.

      Oceans 8's plot centers around deceased Danny Ocean of the first three Ocean's movies (A plot twist that does more harm to the overall film than good.) sister (Played by Sandra Bullock) being released from prison with a plan to perform a huge heist with her partner-in-crime (Played by Cate Blanchett) and an all-female crew at New York's yearly Met Gala, while also working in a little revenge in the process. Ocean's 8 despite pulling a gender swap on the main cast, attempts to stick close to the first three movies in terms of possessing both a similar style and story structure. The problem with the films plot is although the movie as a whole is entertaining, it doesn't break any new ground with the franchise nor takes it in a new direction storywise other than the fact that the main cast are now females. Instead of robbing money from a Casino, the plot centers around taking a necklace that's worth $150 million dollars. Despite that switch up, the film lacks the heart of the first three films and the moments of chemistry George Clooney's team had in between setting up each mission where the audience got to really know the members of Danny Ocean's crew. It's not a question of whether Ocean's 8 carries style with it (Clearly it does), but it lacks substance to make it truly memorable on its own. What helps the film succeed overall, is the strong female cast that showcase chemistry together. Bullock proves to be a worthy replacement for George Clooney's lead with Cate Blanchett being a strong partner in crime. Despite the fact that the filmmakers chose to go a different route with the franchise here, one can't help but feel disappointment at the fact that they killed off Danny Ocean in the film as audiences will never get to see a cameo from George Clooney in the franchise nor him and his sister teaming up to pull off a heist together. The filmmakers missed a huge opportunity to have Clooney's character congratulate Debbie on pulling off her successful heist. The problem is not that Ocean's 8 isn't a fun experience, its that it is so but settles for being just average overall with the only main highlight being its talented cast.

      As far as casting goes, the female heist team of Ocean's 8 performs strongly and maintains the chemistry that made the first three Oceans films a hit with audiences. Sandra Bullock does a very good job playing Debbie Ocean, making her feel like she's related to Danny Ocean with her style of being ultra-smooth and smart. She plays a woman, whose well-confident that her team is going to pull off the ultimate heist and would unquestionably make her brother proud. Cate Blanchett does a good job playing the Brad Pitt to Debbie's character Lou, with the two having chemistry that makes them work well off each other. Anne Hathaway shines in her supporting role as diva actress Daphne Kluger with her character coming across as being goofier than the others until the twist that arrives later with her character. Helena Bonham Carter shines as fashion designer Rose Weil with strong performances from Rihanna as Nine Ball, Mindy Kaling as Amita, and a surprise return performance from Oceans trilogy, Elliot Gould as Reuben. Richard Armitage does the best job he can to make a memorable performance out of his minimalized role as being the films main antagonist Claude Beckerm, but the writing he's given doesn't give his character much of an opportunity to shine nor make the audience truly despise him for what he did to Debbie. Whereas the films writing falls flat with a truly memorable plot, the cast of Ocean's 8 arrives to pick up the pieces and does a great job of working together as a terrific ensemble. They work through the scripts shortcomings to make the film as entertaining as possible, and seem to all be having a great time acting in the film. Regardless of the movies faults, it shines in the acting department with its ensemble cast.

      In terms of directing and screenwriting, Gary Ross does a solid job of trying to maintain a similar style and approach to the story that Stephen Soderbergh brought with the previous three Oceans films. Ross keeps the film flashy and utilizes some of Soderbergh's trademark shots such as intercutting different sequences together in one shot with a steady pace with the films editing. Despite Ross doing his best to imitate Soderbergh's style while keeping a grip on the cast and story, Ross isn't as skilled at Stephen in terms of building up suspense and making the exit twist as thrilling of a pay off as it should be. Ross helps bring charm to the film with his cast but the story as a whole misses the thrills, the excitement, and ultimately the heart of Danny's Ocean's trilogy. The screenplay by Ross and co-writer Olivia Milch, is serviceable though leans very closely on the previous films for comfort. Killing off Danny Ocean was a huge mistake as it casted a shadow over the rest of the movie from the moment it was revealed. The film also suffers from the lack of a true antagonist in the story as there's no one besides Richard Armitage, that comes remotely close to being the parallel to Andy Garcia's character in the Ocean's trilogy. Without the lack of a villain, there is no real threat the team faces in regards to pulling off their heist, which leads to a lack of suspense with their heist. With Danny's team going up against Garcia's character in the original, the audience felt the tension as Andy's character Terry Benedict slowly caught onto the heist being performed at his Casino. The script feels like it was designed to bring together all the main characters with an attractive cast, but doesn't feel like it gives them much else to do beyond sharing key scenes together.

      As a heist film, Ocean's 8 despite its scripts shortcomings is a decent flick that's fun and entertaining to watch in general. Audiences watching it still find enjoyment with the main characters with sprinkles of what could've been a great heist movie if the plot was further expanded on. Between this movie and Ghostbusters 2016, this film gets a little further in terms of being more successful in rebranding the franchise despite Ocean's 8 having some of the same problems as that film. Both movies feel like they lean on the previous films way too much to get their stories going with the only main differences being the changes of the main characters with the gender swap being the main gimmick. Both Ghostbusters 2016 and Ocean's 8, are much better movies than what their given reputation wise, but they both ultimately fail to move their franchises out further past their comfort zones. It felt like Ross and the writers were too afraid to take risks in the story department, and chose to keep things simple and play it safe while utilizing the main cast to cover up the scripts shortcomings. As far as the rankings of the Ocean's series go, Ocean's Eleven is the strongest film followed by this film, Thirteen, and Twelve. The film is saved and ultimately made by its ensemble cast, who feel perfect for their parts, they're just lacking Soderbergh's touch to make the whole experience truly special. The film should best be viewed as a fun spin-off, that could've been better had the script been more polished though it still comes with some reasonably solid twists, decent laughs depending on the audience watching it, and a cast that's just allowed to be women and act like how women would in performing a heist. Its a shame they weren't given a more plausible story cause the script has moments where it demonstrates smarts and cleverness.

Final Verdict: For fans of the Ocean's franchise, Ocean's 8 is worth seeing as its reasonably fun and entertaining, it just lacks a story to really make it standout.