Ranking the Ocean’s Movies from Worst to Best

The Ocean’s franchise makes us think of action-packed heist movies with funny lines. But some of the Ocean’s movies didn’t quite hit the mark. Do you agree?

It’s one of many iconic movies to be set in a casino, for those who don’t know (it can’t be many), Ocean’s 11 kicked off the franchise as a re-make of the 1960 film starring the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Junior. The 2010 film begins with Danny Ocean’s release from jail. Danny (George Clooney) violates his parole to meet fellow criminal Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) to organize a robbery of three Las Vegas casinos. 

The plot has many exciting twists and turns, plenty of jealousy, rivalry, and an unlikely sleight of hand. Nevertheless, the movie was a hit in the box office and continues to be in the top 10 movies on the download chart and a vehicle for the leading players’ successful careers. 

When moviemakers decided to re-make the iconic 1960’s movie Ocean’s Eleven back in 2001, did they think these movies would be as much of a hit as the original? Movie fans love this franchise but not all of it; let’s look at the worst and best of the series starting with Ocean’s 12.

Ocean’s 12

Ocean’s 12 is the 2004 sequel to Ocean’s 11 and is the second in the franchise series. The team is back together but finds they are in debt to some brutal gangsters controlled by casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) and must plan another robbery to pay back the debt. Sounds plausible, well, maybe not.

The film was criticized for starting slowly and overly complicated storyline and finishing with a story that the screenwriters forgot to mention initially or even during the movie. The cast does their best to appear hip and on the money (literally) Entertainment Weekly rated the film as style over substance and one of the 25 worst sequels ever made.

With all that said, the film was still a financial success bringing in $362 million, the 10th highest-grossing movie in 2004.

Ocean’s 13

The 2007 movie is more of a heist comedy, the third installment of the franchise, and the trilogy’s final film. While the film was well-received, it didn’t make as much money as Ocean’s 12, only grossing $311 million worldwide.

In the critics’ eyes, Ocean’s 13 more than made up for the blatant bandwagoning that happened during the making of Ocean’s 12. But what do the critics know? Movie fans loved Ocean’s 12, and sadly if it’s the bottom line, your after Ocean’s 12 wins the sequel challenge.

Ocean’s 8

Ocean’s 8 is a spin-off and a clever one; the 2018 movie is a continuum of the trilogy but focuses on a group of women who decide to take on the Ocean’s legacy. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is Danny Ocean’s baby sister. Debbie also has a partner in crime in the shape of Cate Blanchett, who plays Lou, Debbie’s former partner in crime – see the continuity there?

Debbie assembles a team of beautiful, talented, and very well-known accomplices to steal a diamond necklace worth $150 million during the Met Gala – if nothing else, this film is a product placement agent’s dream. Beautiful women dressed in fabulous clothes at a legendary occasion in the gorgeous backdrop of MoMA (metropolitan museum of art), what’s not to love?

The movie made $297 million, which is not insignificant but received mixed reviews as fans said they found the plot underwhelming and not up to the trilogy’s standards.

Ocean’s 11 v Ocean’s Eleven 

The original 1960 movie Ocean’s 11 was without a doubt a great movie at the time, but it hasn’t aged well. With modern movie technology, it is not difficult to see the action scenes as outdated, but film buffs must review the movie with age in mind and should watch it with suitable expectations. Age before beauty, and that’s so true of Ocean’s 11.

Ocean’s Eleven 2001 has everything going for it and therefore rightly resumes its position as the trilogy’s best film. A marker for re-make films everywhere. Steven Soderbergh took a dated movie and made it fun and chic, and very 2001. Take a band of cool and sexy actors – including Brad Pitt who is eating in pretty much every scene – brilliant screenwriters, and a long-suffering director, and this is what you end up with – if only it were that simple. 

Upon release, Ocean’s Eleven was a massive hit with huge box office success and critical acclaim. Grossing $450 million worldwide, the fifth best-selling film in 2001and the biggest moneymaker in the Ocean’s trilogy. 

All that’s left is to speculate about Ocean’s 9; it’s early days and considering Steven Soderbergh reportedly didn’t want to make Ocean’s eight, we will have to see how this plays out.