Oceans 8 Blu-ray Review

By: Lynn Barker

Ocean’s 8, presents Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), sister of Ocean’s crime caper films’ Danny (George Clooney). Seems Debbie was framed by her boyfriend Claude Becker (Richard Armitage) and has spent her time in prison plotting the ultimate jewel heist that will also help her get even with her ex. She recruits seven accomplices; Lou (Cate Blanchett), Amita (Mindy Kaling), Tammy (Sarah Paulson), Constance (Awkwafina), 8 Ball/Leslie (Rihanna) and Rose (Helena Bonham Carter). Mega-star Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) will be the target. Can Debbie pull this off?

The 8 work out their planCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Putting the Plan into Action

Five years, eight months in jail have made Debbie Ocean hungry for revenge and criminal action! She cons her way into a release, cleverly shoplifts supplies and clothes and cons herself into a posh hotel suite. She pays respect to her assumed-to-be-dead brother Danny then moves in with old heist buddy Lou who owns a bar. Debbie’s plan is to steal jewels from the famous NYC Met Ball event, Lou is reluctantly in. After confronting her ex Becker at an art gallery, Debbie and Lou recruit other women for the heist.

Lou joins the heist teamCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The “A” Team

Assembling the team is coming together. In debt fashion designer Rose will get close to star Daphne in order to get her to wear a seldom seen 150 million dollar Cartier necklace to the ball. Amita, a jewelry maker fed up with living with her mom, will switch the stones from the stolen necklace into a duplicate setting. 8 Ball/Leslie is a quirky hacker who will manage breaking into Met security, Constance, a great pick pocket, will actually take the necklace from Daphne’s neck, Tammy, a housewife and a great fence, will sell the jewels and also get on the Met Ball staff.

Rose talks Daphne into wearing the necklaceCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Launching the Plan

A 3-D printer brought in by Tammy will duplicate the necklace once Rose takes a picture of the real one. After several setbacks, a copy of the necklace is made and a “blind spot” in the security camera coverage in front of a bathroom in the Met museum is created by 8 Ball. Tammy is hired by the Gala committee to handle seating etc. She will make sure Daphne meets Becker and he becomes her date to the event. She also gets into Vogue offices to get fancy clothes for the entire gang to wear to the ball. Debbie is posing as a German aristocrat and Lou is a master chef in the kitchen.

Tammy coordinates during the ballCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Heist Night

It’s the night of the Met Ball dinner and fake chef Lou sees to it that Daphne’s soup is poisoned just enough to make her want to hurl. She rushes to the bathroom. Constance, posing as a bathroom attendant, “helps” her and steals the necklace. Amita, posing as a dish washer, grabs it and, in a pre-set-up closet, starts switching the stones into the duplicate. Daphne is questioned by security and the entire ball is emptied while the necklace and thief is searched for. Once the fake necklace is finished, Tammy pretends to find it in a fountain. The entire gang, now dressed to the max, exit the ball with the other attendees.

Planning sessionCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Success or Getting Caught?

Cartier discovers that the necklace returned to them is a fake and an insurance investigator John Frazier (James Corden) starts putting the facts together. He knows Debbie. Will he cooperate to pin the theft on Debbie’s ex Becker? Will Daphne get wise to the theft and want a cut? Just how much jewelry did the gang get away with and how will they fence it? Will the girls in the gang get a big payoff or will their plan finally unravel? 

John Frazier suspects Debbie and gangCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Special Extra Features

• Deleted Scenes (2) – one scene focuses on Tammy returning to the girls and gushing about the exclusive ball. Funny!  Another is a short scene between Debbie and Tammy on living the quiet, suburban life.
• Reimagining the Met Gala – The yearly ball at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the poshest and most exclusive of the posh. Filmmakers discuss talking the staff of the Met into letting the movie shoot there with cooperation of Vogue’s diva Anna Winkour and various other staff members. Costumes, set design and creating the fake fashion “exhibit” are shown in detail. The actresses talk about their custom-made ball dresses! Very cool and especially fun for fashion fans!
• A Heist in Heels presents the actresses talking about working together to form the heist crew, “Hey, women can be criminals too!” The screenwriter reveals that she wanted to connect to and pay homage to the original “Ocean’s” films with witty dialogue and style. Director Gary Ross discusses putting just the right combo of actresses together so there would be no catfights, just great chemistry. There is more on the fashion aspect and “look” of each woman etc. Interesting!
• Ocean’s Team 3.0 gives us more on assembling the cast and creating eight distinctly different lead characters. Each character is described in detail with the actresses talking about creating their particular lady thief. Really cool.

Switching the jewelsCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Wrapping Up

This Ocean’s 8 Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack has just the right combo of fashion-centric description and lots of comments from the cast members in the extra features. I would have liked a blooper reel. I’m sure these gals were hilarious on set! Also an audio commentary by Director Gary Ross and maybe Sandra Bulloch would have been a hoot. The movie looks and sounds very crisp and colorful on this set.

Working out every detailCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Overall, Ocean's 8 isn't quite as slick and stylish as the Ocean’s movies before it but this is a great group of actresses and they mesh very well. The music is stylish and the couture gowns are to die for. Cameo appearances by celebs are plentiful but there is some doubt that, in real life, this heist could have been really pulled off as shown.

You will enjoy seeing this talented group of actresses do their stuff. We can go four stars for this home entertainment version of the slick, gender-bending heist film.

Oceans 8 Blu-ray Rating: 

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Buy Ocean's 8 in stores starting September 11^th!

What do you think?

Express yourself! Are you going to take home this sassy tribute to smart women? Are you a fan of any of the stars of this film? What extra would you like to have seen on this home entertainment version? Want to do your own review? Write one on your profile page or leave a comment here! We always want to hear from you!