‘Ocean’s 8’ brings shock to fans with unexpected spin

Kip Mayes, Sophomore Editor & Reporter

“Ocean’s 8,” recent release and spin-off to the critically acclaimed “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), took the world by surprise and kept audiences on their toes.

Directed by Gary Ross, Ocean’s 8 (2018) was action-packed and certainly loaded with some of the biggest celebrities of our time. The plot follows Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) and her journey on pulling off the biggest heist of her career with her team of seven other criminals, some of which include computer hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), suburban mom Tammy (Sarah Paulson), and partner in crime Lou (Cate Blanchett). This team of women follow a plan to steal a $150 million necklace during the annual Met Ball.

“Ocean’s 8” is an eye-catching masterpiece that has exhilarating scenes and never a boring moment. With a plot made of almost entirely women (compared to an original movie with all men), this movie appealed more to both audiences and had people who don’t normally watch action movies rushing to get their tickets. Gender diversity wasn’t the only thing shown in this movie; amazing angles, lighting, and visuals came into play to make audiences feel like they, too, were a part of the action.

Although no details were left unanswered, the strategic play of scenes allowed audiences to still be shocked and intrigued throughout the entire movie. This sequel did tie back to the original, with Debbie being the sister of Danny Ocean, the heist leader in “Ocean’s Eleven,” but no prior knowledge of the original is needed to enjoy this comedic take on criminal acts. Critic scores did not top the original, but the box office did, coming in at $41.5 million.

Overall, this movie was very pleasing and, although it did not receive the best reviews from fans of the original movie, to someone who has no knowledge of anything but the movie they are watching, it was an entertaining two hours that left me wanting more.