Ocean's 8

Opening with a scene reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven, this sparkling caper comedy introduces the late Danny Ocean’s younger sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock), who leaves prison after nearly six years behind bars. Swinging into action, Debbie purloins beauty products from Bergdorf Goodman, forges a posh Manhattan hotel registration, liberates a suitcase off a bellman’s cart, and contacts her cool wing-woman Lou (Cate Blanchett) to go over an intricate scheme she’s been working on during her incarceration. “Why do you need to do this?” Lou asks. “Because it’s what I’m good at,” Debbie answers. She’s after serious bling, namely Cartier’s Toussaint—a dazzling, six-pound diamond necklace, worth $150 million—which will be around the neck of vain, It Girl actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) at the upcoming Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala. The plan is to exchange it for a perfectly crafted cubic zirconia copy. Naturally, this will require a team effort, so the pair are joined by Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), a career-crazed couturier; Nine Ball (Rihanna), an intrepid hacker; Tammy (Sarah Paulson), a proficient fence; Amita (Mindy Kaling), a diamond expert; and Constance (Awkwafina), a pickpocket/hustler. Why an all-woman crew? As Debbie notes, “A ‘him’ gets noticed; a ‘her’ gets ignored. And, for once, we’d like to be ignored.” As a bonus, Debbie is also determined to wreak vengeance against her smarmy ex-boyfriend, Claude (Richard Armitage). Helmed by director Gary Ross, this entertaining heist flick features loads of cameos, including James Corden, Heidi Klum, Kim Kardashian, Katie Holmes, Dakota Fanning, and Anna Wintour. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “Ocean’s Team 3.0” (14 min.), “Reimagining the Met Gala” (13 min.), and “A Heist in Heels” (12 min.), as well as deleted scenes (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: solid extras package for an entertaining thriller.] (S. Granger)