Ocean's 12

Fans of "Ocean's 11" can rest assured "Ocean's 12" will not disappoint. While not quite as good as the first, this sequel maintains the qualities that made the Las Vegas adventure so much fun.

Tony Benedict has tracked down the eleven master thieves that stole $160 million from his casinos three years ago and is demanding to be paid back, with interest, or face the consequences. With Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the lead, the gang regroups and heads overseas to do what they can to come up with such a large amount of money. Oh, and they have been given two weeks to do it.

This time around, Brad Pitt seems to have the larger role over Clooney, as he has more screen time with EuroPol investigator Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who also serves as the love interest. There's also a shift in character importance. Some players, such as Bernie Mac, disappear as quickly as they arrive. Then there's Linus (Matt Damon) who, in one scene, explains how he would like to play a bigger role in this caper. Damon may have said the same thing to director Steven Soderbergh. He and Julia Roberts, who appears in the opening scene only to disappear until the final third of the film, have some of the funniest moments together as the story wraps up.

What I really enjoyed in "11" was how each twist in the story was explained to the audience in flashbacks. My complaint with "12" is that the final twist this time is a bit too big and too implausible. Also, you won't appreciate elements of "12" if you have not seen "11". Overall, though, "Ocean's 12" is a satisfying holiday treat that I encourage you to try. I give it a B+.

"Ocean's 12" is rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours.