“The only thing that is constant is change.” The Heraclitus quote can apply to almost anything, except the consistent, heartwarming presence of heist movies and heist movie tropes.
Last year provided two heist successes: Logan Lucky and Baby Driver. The welcome additions to the genre portrayed how West Virginia rednecks and an actual baby a fully grown man named “Baby” would pull of their version of a heist. This year, Hollywood offered the world Hurricane Heist, a weather-thriller that everyone collectively decided to skip.
It is time for another fun heist movie. The second trailer was recently released for Ocean’s 8, a spin-off sequel of arguably one of the most fun heist franchises of all time. The first trailer was a glorified roll call of its A-list ensemble: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, and Awkwafina. This trailer gives more insight to the actual plot of the movie, and it does not shy away from common heist movie antics.
Part of the appeal of the Ocean’s movies is the unflinching embrace of heist clichés. Watching charismatic celebrities frolic in a luxury sandbox is undeniably enjoyable, and Debbie Ocean’s (Bullock’s) crew seems ready for their turn.
For lovers of heist movies, there are certain words or phrases that are essential. Practically every single quote from the trailer can be found in almost every heist movie, but a few have been pulled just to emphasize that Ocean’s 8 just might be the heist movie 2018 is searching for.
“Debbie Ocean. Convicted felon. Her brother, Danny Ocean, more convicted felon. She was present at the night of the incident.”
Are we supposed to believe James Corden as some kind of investigator or security guard? Who knows, but the first line of the trailer makes the important connection of Bullock’s Ocean to George Clooney’s Ocean. It also has the essential heist phrase: “night of the incident”.
“The Met?”
In every Ocean’s movie there has to be a glamorous backdrop; this movie chose the Met Gala. This bomb was dropped to Cate Blanchett’s character after she offered guesses of robbing a jewelry store or a diamond mine. Bullock nonchalantly nods at the Met after Blanchett’s petty attempts at guessing the heist venue. Thankfully Bullock’s Ocean timed that conversation perfectly, or else she would be making an awkward nod to the nearest Whole Foods.
“This is the most sophisticated security in the world.”
Has Mr. Blue Blazer ever seen a heist movie? By saying that his security system is the most sophisticated in the world, he has inevitably doomed said security system. The team’s resident hacker seems to be Rihanna’s Nine Ball. It is easy to tell because there are stickers scattered all over her laptop, which is Hollywood’s common way of saying, “This person is good with computers.”
“How long did it take for you to figure all this out?”
“Five years, eight months, and twelve days.”
The best heist schemes always take an unreasonable amount of time to plan. We are led to believe that Ocean planned the heist every day that she was in prison. Not one day off? Do prisons not celebrate Shark Week?
“She’s in.”
Someone always has to go “in” something for a heist to work. We know that the crew is breaking in the Met Gala, but this classic heist line lets us know that the plan does work to some degree.
“We’ve prepared for this.”
This line is the Ocean’s franchise in a nutshell. There are twists, there are double-crosses, there are plots within plots. The movie sets up the seemingly familiar beats to then subvert expectations through a series of misdirects. The main heist in Ocean’s Eleven is a perfect example. This line from Bullock’s Ocean indicates that she might have a plan just as elaborate.
“We will not be the prime suspects.”
Can James Corden be the fall guy?
Ocean’s 8 opens June 8.
