Here’s a couple of things we think we can all agree on:

• “Ocean’s 12″ sucked.
• Vegas is cool.
• Just about everyone in the movie industry is a pompous self important weirdo, but if asked to hand select a couple of dudes to have a beer with, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon would top the list.
• Cougars are awesome.
• Julia Roberts is annoying.

These agreeable things pretty much sum up why “Ocean’s 13″ is worth the price of admission.

When people–in any walk of life–are reasonable and willing to learn from past mistakes, good things can come out of previously sucking at something. Reasonable people go back to the drawing board, figure out what went wrong, and avoid those mistakes next time around.

Soderbergh and Clooney definitely took their medicine from the debacle that was “Ocean’s 12″ and went back to basics in the new installment. The thing that made “Ocean’s 11″ so entertaining–besides it’s ability to brainwash you into believing your cool potential ceiling is much higher than it really is–was that it held your hand through the con. Sure, there were twists and surprises, but the groundwork had been laid, allowing for the solid “aha” payoff moments when everything began to come together.

“Ocean’s 12″ sucked in particular because it attempted to outsmart the audience instead of letting them ride shotgun on the scheme. The twists and turns that should have been payoffs just seemed confusing and out of nowhere. Not to mention “12″ allowed far too much screen time for a freestyle dancing French yoga instructor as the villain. How Soderbergh and Clooney didn’t see this as something that audiences wouldn’t connect with–let alone annoy the fuck out of them–is still an all time mystery to us.

So with “13″, they’ve learned their lessons and get back to basics. New Coke is trashed and Classic is redelivered. There’s nothing groundbreaking or entirely original, but the movie is cool and entertaining and clever, just like you hoped. Vegas is once again the backdrop. Casinos are again the target. Gambling leads all topics. And the con and insight into the con world are front stage. All things are right in the world.

The cast–for the most part–is back in tact. Clooney and Pitt once again leave you wishing you were cooler than you are, but in an encouraging manner, like with some serious concentrated effort you could reach their levels of coolness. Damon and the rest of the cast are on point, especially Damon, who has the whole little brother act down. And there are no lapses in “13″ where you begin to wonder if the writers took a bong rip and completely forgot some of the characters altogether, a la Bernie Mac in “12″.

The new editions of Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin work. Al Pacino is definitely in the “parody of myself” portion of his career. He just doesn’t really seem to give much of a shit anymore. It’s like going into every movie he tells the director, “I’m going to be basing this character on Al Pacino, if you don’t like it, I’ll be watching porno in my trailer.” (We just read where Pacino is seriously considering joining next season’s “Dancing With The Stars”, if that helps drive the point home.) And Barkin delivers some solid cougar moments (which is even referenced in the movie). We can safely say we did not see her cleavage coming. It may very well be attributable to some CGI effects, but either way it’s a fun breath of fresh air to Julia Roberts’ nasaly whininess and lack of cleavage.

To sum it up. Vegas. Casinos. The Con. Some dudes you’d have a beer with. Shortage of French people. Cougar cleavage. Our recommendation.

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