--- title: "Ocean's Eleven: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/oceans-eleven/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/oceans-eleven" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Ocean's Eleven (2001): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics take this as Soderbergh setting out to have fun and succeeding. The praise clusters on two things: the direction, described again and again as slick, effortless and light on its feet, and the cast, whose quick-fire interplay several reviewers rate above the heist mechanics themselves. Pitt is singled out more than once; Variety gives particular credit to the older pros, Reiner and Gould. The jazzy score and the camerawork get approving mentions, and The Guardian rates it a marked improvement on the 1960 original. The spread is narrow, with the reviews settling in the upper range. Reservations are about weight rather than execution: several call it surfaces and grace notes, fun without much underneath. The one clear dissent comes from The New Yorker, which finds it great fun for an hour and then shallow, with no real climax, and calls it Soderbergh’s least adventurous work. Screen Daily is cooler too, finding it only sporadically entertaining. ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2002. Soderbergh opts for fun over substance with this slick, cool heist remake; it's packed with charisma, great direction, and entertainment value, though not his most substantial work. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/oceans-eleven-review/) ## Empire — Emma Cochrane Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises Soderbergh's remake as a slick, entertaining heist film with a stellar cast and effortless cool, highlighting the stylish direction and charismatic performances, especially Brad Pitt's. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ocean-eleven-review/) ## Radio Times — Joanna Berry Rating 4/5. A thoroughly enjoyable caper in which Clooney and his A-list pals have fun pulling off an audacious Vegas heist; the stellar cast's sharp, quick-fire dialogue and interplay take centre stage over the heist mechanics. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ha6bya/oceans-eleven/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2002. The critic finds the remake ridiculously enjoyable and a marked improvement on the original Rat Pack film. Soderbergh's direction brings off the action and tongue-in-cheek comedy effectively, with the heist mechanics singled out as particularly watchable. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/feb/15/culture.peterbradshaw1) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Soderbergh's hi-tech robbery procedural is wholly enjoyable entertainment performed and directed with deceptive ease, freshness, wit, pace and a light touch of irony that relishes the clichés. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/oceans-eleven) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2001. The critic finds the remake great fun for about an hour but ultimately shallow fluff with no real climax or payoff. He praises the energetic, intricate craftsmanship but complains that it is Soderbergh's least adventuresome work. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/12/10/deceivers) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 7 December 2001. The critic calls the film a lively, effervescent caper that is its own stylish creation with hipster bemusement. He singles out the clever script, amusing characters, and Soderbergh's success in delivering intelligent popular entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-07-et-turan7-story.html) ## Screen Daily 4 December 2001. Soderbergh's update of the 1960 heist film is only semi-successful and sporadically entertaining, showing signs of strain despite the glossy star vehicle format and strong cast including Clooney, Pitt and Roberts. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/oceans-eleven/407680.article) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez 15 April 2002. Ocean’s Eleven counts as a breath of fresh air after other recent heist films, so suave it operates on autopilot. Soderbergh directs the heist with workmanlike precision, underplays the double-crossing and return-to-love elements, and makes even a perfunctory Rat Pack crime caper go down like fine wine. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/oceans-eleven-dvd/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt 3 December 2001. The film is a mostly successful stylistic shift into sheer artifice for Soderbergh, with the force of the star personalities compelling interest. It is an exercise in Hollywood glamour enlivened by the sense that the actors are having a ball, a technical marvel with elegant camerawork and a cool jazzy score. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oceans-eleven-2001-review-953698/) ## The New York Times — Elvis Mitchell 7 December 2001. The critic praises Soderbergh's stylish, energetic remake as an elating display of flair and pride. He singles out the director's technique and the star power of the ensemble cast for making the heist picture work. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/07/movies/film-review-for-the-new-rat-pack-it-s-a-ring-a-ding-thing.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy 30 November 2001. The critic describes the remake as a breezy, nonchalant lark that is all about surfaces, behavior, and grace notes rather than suspense. He praises the spontaneous cast, especially the older pros Reiner and Gould, and Soderbergh's attractive visual style. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/ocean-s-eleven-3-1200552459/) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. The critic views it as a perfectly calibrated Hollywood heist machine that's high-gloss entertainment pitched at adults, slick yet stylish. He praises its craftsmanship and connection to Soderbergh's later work but notes it lacks emotional resonance compared to Out of Sight. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/steven-soderbergh/oceans-eleven-steven-soderbergh) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/oceans-eleven.md