--- title: "Ocean's Thirteen: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/oceans-thirteen/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/oceans-thirteen" critics_score: 55 critics_reviews: 12 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 Thirteen (2007): what the critics said Critics' score 55 from 12 reviews: 5 positive, 3 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews split almost down the middle, and the disagreement is about whether a return to Las Vegas is a relief or a retreat. Those in favour find the third film breezier and better plotted than its predecessor, and they praise Soderbergh’s polished direction, the glossy camerawork, the intricacy of the cons and the ensemble’s relaxed cool, with Clooney and Pacino picked out by name. The reservations cluster on familiarity: several critics say it plays as a remake of the first film, with thinner characters, a wafer-thin role for Pacino and a fondness for its own stars that curdles into smugness. The negative end is sharp. The Guardian calls it empty and self-congratulatory and objects to the treatment of its one female character, while Slant Magazine finds the vignettes disconnected and the factory strike subplot offensive. Radio Times thinks the cast looks disengaged, Ellen Barkin apart. The spread runs the full width of the scale. ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 2007. The film recaptures the breezy cool of the first entry by returning to Vegas, with stylish direction, strong production values, and an ideal Pacino as the nemesis. It delivers ultra-cool cons and keeps the series' fizz alive without missing a beat. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2007/film/reviews/ocean-s-thirteen-1200558684/) ## Empire — Chris Hewitt Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 January 2006. The critic finds Ocean’s Thirteen a welcome return to form after the more experimental Twelve, with a breezy and entertaining second half full of clever twists and strong ensemble moments. They single out the glossy style, technical camerawork and Clooney’s charismatic lead performance for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ocean-thirteen-review/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2007. The third installment is lighter than air and a well-oiled machine, with Soderbergh working at his best in this Vegas romp. The critic praises the glamorous style, fast-moving screenplay, and the way the film pushes conventional narrative while delivering pure entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/07/arts/07iht-fmreview8.1.6035686.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2007. Festival review. The critic finds that the film recaptures much of the spirit of the original Ocean's Eleven despite lacking its freshness, crediting the clever script centered on friendship and revenge while noting some subplots misfire and Pacino's role is wafer-thin. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/oceans-thirteen-158918/) ## Time Out — David Jenkins Rating 3/5. 5 June 2007. The critic finds it a breezy but familiar third entry that improves thematically on predecessors by focusing on aging criminals, though it feels like a remake of the first film. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/oceans-thirteen-1) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 2007. Better than the unfocused 'Ocean's Twelve' but a pale copy of the original 'Ocean's Eleven,' lacking its brio and inspiration. The critic finds the self-mythologizing smugness and repetitive character tics tiresome, though it remains serviceable as a straight-ahead heist. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jun-08-et-oceans8-story.html) ## Radio Times — Jamie Russell Rating 2/5. Fails to recapture the original's insouciance and fun; the cast seems disengaged overall, with only Ellen Barkin shining in a comic role. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kybimr/oceans-thirteen/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2007. The film is a slick but routine caper that dispenses with clear exposition in favor of star-driven antics and preposterous schemes. Ebert grows impatient with the pacing and lack of character development, finding the material thin despite the talented cast and director. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oceans-thirteen-2007) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2007. The critic dismisses the film as an insensitive, navel-gazing exercise in celebrity culture with disconnected vignettes and a declining visual style from Soderbergh, singling out the offensive factory strike subplot and incoherent color choices for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/oceans-thirteen/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 2007. The critic finds the film a fantastically smug and empty threequel with a nasty dab of misogyny, enclosed in an airless world of self-congratulatory style that is only marginally better than its predecessor. He singles out the pointless, plotless sequences and the humiliating treatment of the sole female character for particular complaint. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jun/08/georgeclooney.camerondiaz) ## The Skinny — Paul Greenwood Rating ★★★½. 10 June 2007. The critic finds Ocean's Thirteen the strongest entry in the trilogy, a stylish and breezy heist film focused on the cons rather than celebrity self-congratulation. They praise the intricate plotting, smooth ensemble interplay, and Soderbergh's polished direction while noting the leads' effortless cool. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/oceans-thirteen-film-of-the-month) ## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2007. The critic calls it a breezy summer caper with classic Hollywood Las Vegas style, complex heists, and relaxed fun performances. It is old-fashioned and aimed at family audiences but ultimately too familiar to be worth seeking out. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/oceans-thirteen-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) --- © 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-thirteen.md