Oceans 11 – the legendary plot that inspired many imitators

Posted on 20 June 2020
By Carlton Whitfield
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There are many action movies with tricky plots out there. For decades now, directors, writers, and actors have been trying to deliver high-quality crime thriller with lots of action in it, whilst being close to reality, featuring subtle and witty characters.

Despite a lot of passion from many well-accomplished professionals, only very few productions have managed to incorporate all of these into a one, single movie, passing its legacy onto many generations to come.

What attracts people to crime, thriller, and robberies? The answer is easy – the money is what catches the eye of anyone, whether it is in a movie or real life. That is exactly what makes the casino a great spot for such a movie. Most likely, you have come across numerous similar plots with a group of people robbing a fancy, luxurious venue in the south of France or traditionally and most commonly Las Vegas.

The movie culture featuring casinos and their robberies is nothing but new. The Ocean’s 11 was not born in 2001. Rather, it was a remake of the original 1960 Rat Pack featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and others.

Turns out, that the legacy of over 60 years of the crime movie pattern floating around casinos has had its very own impact on the industry. Representatives of one of the leading gambling operators Spinia say that many people play only to experience what it is like to be in one of the most exclusive places on earth.

They asserted that casinos, including online ones, keep using the luxury elements, which often are not even real to capture the eyes of potential new customers.

Ocean’s 11 immediately received critical acclaim for its genius plot, exquisite filming, and loveable characters. The movie remains to be one of the most successful and globally acknowledged heist-themed productions. Its footprints can be seen on TV, books, and popular culture. Just merely 20 years on, Ocean’s 11 managed to become a widely recognized production with millions of fans all around the world.

Never seen it? – a brief overview of the plot

The entire movie, as well as its name, revolves around a con-artist and a professional criminal, Danny Ocean. There has been a lot of controversy around him in the latest Ocean’s 8 movie. After his release from prison, he violates the parole and goes to California. In the golden state, he meets his partner in crime and a good friend Rusty Ryan. Yet, this is not just a friendly reunion after some time of separation. Danny meets Rusty to propose a heist – bigger and more valuable than any of them have ever attempted.

The two friends head to Nevada’s gambling mecca, Las Vegas. There, they meet the old friend and a former casino-owner, Reuben Tishkoff. The latter, thanks to his past in the business, is an extremely wealthy individual. Reuben is rather familiar with the sector.

He is aware of how smart casino security systems are. Despite the plan being extremely precise and well-prepared, Reuben still hesitates to get involved. Nevertheless, after quite some hesitation, Reuben joins the team and agrees to finance the operation.

The group is planning to simultaneously rob 3 iconic and luxurious Las Vegas casinos. All of them are leading venues globally and feature the state of the art security systems. What makes the plot and the entire movie more realistic is that Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos are not invented.

They exist in Las Vegas to this date and anyone with enough funds can visit them. On the night of a popular boxing match, the Bellagio vault is expected to contain approximately $150 million.

Danny and Rusty now need to get a decent crew that they genuinely trust. For that reason, they recruit friends and colleagues, to be more precise, 8 of them. Now, this part is the biggest characteristic of the Ocean’s 11. The diversity of characters and rich personal development along with detailed descriptions of each of them make the movie extremely interesting.

Linus Caldwell is an extremely talented pickpocket, an essential professional during a major casino heist. Need an acrobat to overcome physical obstacles? The Amazing Yen is also on the team. Frank Catton is a casino worker and a con artist, contributing to the plan from the inside. Virgil and Turk Malloy are a couple of mechanics, also crucial for the highly motorized operation.

Basher Tarr is an explosives expert – why is he onboard? Well, better watch the movie to get details. Saul Bloom is an elderly con man and unlike Frank Catton, he is involved in more subtle parts of the heist. Last but not least, Livingston Dell is an electronics and surveillance expert with a lot of knowledge in the field.

Yet, it is not really in the spirit of the movie to single out any of the characters. The entire plot is completely dependent on the unity of the team. All of the characters’ personalities can be closely observed and analyzed throughout the movie. Everyone has their part to play, making the entire movie extremely tense. There is always a risk and at any given time, someone can simply fail, jeopardizing the entire operation.

Besides deep personalities and an amazing plot with detailed planning, what makes the movie such an iconic production? To understand why Ocean’s 11 is so highly valued, we should look at the bigger picture. It is funny, but will not spark loud, intensive laughter. Rather, the movie features very subtle and special humor along the entire length of it.

It is very intense, active, but will not tire you from far too many action scenes. Rather, it will keep you engaged through expressive personalities and lines. All in all, it is the team that makes so many go crazy for it. They are simply cool, exactly what Frank Sinatra and others aspired to be back in 1960.

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