A Star Is Born: Contender

“…Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave - 12 notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story. Told over, and over. All any artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes…”  

A Star Is Born arrived February 19. It’s on everything from the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, the Blu-Ray Combo Pack, the DVD Special Edition. The Digital format appeared early on January 15.

STAR

A Star Is Born is essentially the fourth time this story is being told. There is the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. The 1954 movie with Judy Garland and James Mason. And the original goes back to a 1937 film with stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March - but it had nothing to do with music. Gaynor played an actress with a big dream.

All have the same title - A Star Is Born.    

Bradley Cooper decided he wanted to take on the task of this new version. He went all in, too. He earned his acting, directing, writing and producing credits.

He cast Lady Gaga, in her first leading role. She played the struggling singer, Ally, whose star may be on the rise. There is also Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle and Sam Elliott to round out the cast. Rami Gavron and Anthony Ramos also have roles.

Cooper and Gaga wrote original songs for the movie. This also includes a handful of artists, like Lukas Nelson (Willie Nelson’s son), Jason Isbell and Mark Ronson.

All songs were recorded live during filming, too. No lip-syncing, nothing recorded beforehand.   

Most critics and audiences seem to agree that the movie was worth a look. It has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It made over $209 million in North America and $421 million worldwide.

A Star Is Born brought the acclaim and countless award nominations. Won Best Original Song - Shallow - at the Golden Globes. (The official music video has nearly 300 million views on YouTube. Plus countless covers which most recently includes Kelly Clarkson.)

The movie won three acting awards at the National Board of Review. This is for Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott. It also won two Grammys including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.  

The movie is nominated for eight Academy Awards. This includes Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song.

The movie only took home a single Oscar. But it was for the one that a lot people figured would be the obvious category win - Best Original Song for Shallow. The award went to Gaga and co-writers Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Anthony Rossomando.

So, yes, Lady Gaga is now an Oscar winner. Gaga's performance of the song with Cooper at the Oscars managed to be one of the more talked-about moments of the night.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes.

It’s so well-done, it may just be one of the best movies I’ve watched in 2019.

So far, of course. It is only February.  

But it’s safe to say it’s not a family-friendly movie with an R rating. There’s plenty of language through 136 minutes, and the story is not always an easy watch. There are issues like love, heartbreak, substance abuse/addiction and mental health/illness to deal with.

I can’t say I was ever really a Lady Gaga fan. I don’t mind some of her songs, but I never got excited to listen to them.

But I think A Star Is Born made me appreciate her musical talents a little bit more. There is no doubt, the Lady can sing.   

There is a scene in a parking lot with Cooper. She sings a small part of Shallow with no music. She sounds impressive.

It a little bit surprising how good Cooper is as the musician, Jackson Maine. A man whose music career isn’t exactly going smoothly. Rocket Raccoon is pretty cool from Guardians of the Galaxy, but I think this is Cooper's best work since American Sniper. (2014.)    

For original music, they really aren’t bad songs. You may even want to listen to some of them a second time. (I have already.)

Will the movie be for everybody? Probably not. But you may just find something to like. I think the award nominations feel earned and deserved.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

Jam Sessions and Rarities

- Baby What You Want Me To Do

- Midnight Special

- Is That Alright

It hits a little bit below 10 minutes. ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’ and ‘Midnight Special,’ you get a behind-the-scenes look of singing. It's blended in with footage that appears to be cut from the movie. ‘Is That Alright’ is a music-video which may be wedding song material for some people.

The Road to Stardom: Making A Star is Born

Roughly 30 minutes. The first 5 minutes is standard behind-the-scenes stuff. But things get more interesting as Bradley and Lady Gaga discuss musical ideas with Lukas Nelson and Mark Ronson. Acting with Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay and Anthony Ramos. Cooper also tells of his directing choices and how that went.    

Music Videos and Musical Moments

There are the music videos for Shallow, Always Remember Us This Way and Look What I Found, I’ll Never Love Again. You can also pick specific music moments from the movie to watch again.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

Smallfoot Movie Take

What if the Yeti wondered about humans?

You have Smallfoot.

The movie arrived on December 11. It’s on Blu-Ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital. The Digital format appeared early on December 4.

LEGEND

Sure, it’s not Disney. It’s not Pixar. It’s not Minions. But Smallfoot fared out well for Warner Animation Group. It’s the company’s third biggest movie behind those crazy LEGO and LEGO Batman.

Smallfoot notched over $213 million worldwide. It also managed a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Enough to squeak in with a “Certified Fresh” result.

The voice cast includes the likes of Channing Tatum and James Corden. Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, Yara Shahidi, Ely Henry, and Jimmy Tatro.

The story is inspired by the book ‘Yeti Tracks’ by Sergio Pablos. Karey Kirkpatrick is the director. The screen story was written by John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Kirkpatrick.  

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes. 
It would be worth a look for kids and for the kids who are young at heart.

The biggest surprise for me was how much of a musical the movie turned out to be. It is something that never really got highlighted in any of the commercials. The music will be subjective for most people. Are they memorable songs? There's tough competition out there. It’s fun to hear Channing Tatum and Zendaya sing and Common rap though.

If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with Niall Horan’s ‘Finally Free’ which gets played over the end credits.

A community of Yetis believes that humans don’t exist. One day Migo - Channing Tatum - has an encounter with a human or smallfoot. Nobody seems to believe him except for a select few. He sets out to prove he isn’t crazy. That in a nutshell, spins most of the adventure.

Like a lot of animated movies, the story doesn’t stretch out too long. The timeclock ticks to around 96 minutes including credits.

It’s silly, cute and funny. And I may not remember all the Yeti names, but the movie doe has a timely message on curiosity, truth, and integrity. It may be a tough battle going up against Disney or Pixar, but it’s a fun ride that was worth taking at least once.

You may even want to be adventurous and pick the Yeti Set Go Sing-Along feature for a second viewing.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The DVD only had the Yeti or Not, Here They Come! Imagining Smallfoot.

Yeti Set Go Sing-Along -

This may be a feature best suited for kids. It’s a more interactive way to watch the movie. There are quotes highlighted throughout the movie, facts pop up and lyrics to help you sing-along to songs. You may even want to do the Smallfoot shuffle.

Super Soozie Mini Movie - (2 minutes, 22 seconds)

- A fully animated, non-speaking story of Super Soozie. Cute, overall.

Migo in The Secret of the Yeti Stones (3 minutes, 43 seconds.)

- If you weren’t paying attention. This basically gives a recap of things that happened in the movie.

Yeti or Not, Here They Come! (5 minutes, 58 seconds)

- The behind-the-scenes-reel. Since this is Warner Brothers, you may notice some of the animations have a Looney Tunes style.

Music if you are in the mood to watch them on a different screen. They can all be found online, too.

Niall Horan ‘Finally Free’ (3 minutes, 26 seconds)

Cyn ‘Moment of Truth’ (3 minutes, 58 seconds)

Wonder Life: In 28 Languages, Sung Around the World (3 minutes 11 seconds.)

- The unique spin is you get to hear the song sung in 28 different languages

Theatrical promos

- They last about 20 seconds to a minute. From ‘Don’t use your cell phone’ to movie segments. The most interesting is the Mignada.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

The Nun: Conjuring Start

It all started with The Conjuring in 2013.

Have you been paying attention?

The creepy doll featured in that movie became a spin-off in Annabelle (2014).

Now, it’s The Nun. It doesn’t even count as the first time caught on film. The credit goes to The Conjuring 2 (2016). It's another spin-off.

The Nun debuted on December 4. It’s on the usual suspects of Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital. The Digital appeared early on November 20.  

UNIVERSE

New Line Cinema has grown the initial movies into a ‘Conjuring’ Universe.

It’s not big like Marvel, but it’s still expanding for the time being.

The Conjuring will soon have a third film. So will Annabelle. There have been rumblings of a new story called The Crooked Man (another The Conjuring 2 appearance) is in the works, but it is not yet in production.

At this is writing, there are five official films within this ‘Conjuring’ Universe. On the worldwide stage, The Nun is actually the biggest at the box office with over $365 million. (The Conjuring wins the North American battle with the highest total at over $137 million.)

Interestingly, while The Nun takes the worldwide win, it only garnered a measly 27% on the Rotten Tomatoes rating scale.

Corin Hardy directed from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. The story credit goes to James Wan and Dauberman. The cast includes Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, and Jonas Bloquet. There’s also Charlotte Hope, Ingrid Bisu and Bonnie Aarons as The Nun. 

(Yes. The Nun is played by a real person.)

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes - but I would say more for just the curious horror fans though. Especially for those who have seen the two Conjuring films.

The Conjuring was one of the most-buzzed horror films of 2013. It made over $319 million worldwide on just a budget of $20 million.

I didn’t find the movie particularly scary. It was great on the creepy atmosphere and suspense.

The Nun is meant as an origin story of the demon nun - also known as Valek. The tale is set in 1952, which makes it the earliest setting for these five movies.

A young nun takes her own life in Romania. A priest (Demian Bichir) and a novitiate (Taissa Farmiga), soon ready for her final vows are sent to the Vatican to investigate. To uncover the secret of the abbey, will not be simple.

The film maintains the creepy atmosphere rather well and there are some decent jump scares. It’s the kind of movie that manages to keep you on edge.

As a standalone movie, The Nun is not a game-changer of the horror genre. It is beaten by the likes of The Quiet Place. (Which I think takes the crown for the Top 2018 Horror Movie.) But at a slim 96 minutes, The Nun moves along the story and characters rather quickly.

I think the two Conjuring movies are just better, too. Those two films though, add the curiosity factor to The Nun. It tries to go for a creative/twisty ending. The ending only feels creative/twisty because I was familiar with The Conjuring.

   

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

A New Horror Icon (5 minutes, 18 seconds)  

- A closer look at The Nun. Impressions on why viewers were initially drawn to the character in The Conjuring 2. There are no special effects in the creation of the monster. It is an actress, Bonnie Aarons, and some pretty good makeup.

Gruesome Planet (6 minutes, 18 seconds)

- The director Corin Hardy, and cast discuss the location in Romania to bring the gothic horror film to life.

The Conjuring Chronology (3 minutes, 50 seconds)

- A closer - but quick look - at the movies and the timeline/order of the stories which take place within the horror universe.

Deleted Scenes (12 minutes, 18 seconds)

- More for the curiosity factor. There are no real standout scenes. Some of the additional/extended scenes and some are story elements that are already touched upon within the finished film.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

Crazy Rich Asians Movie Take

Crazy Rich Asians is another checkmark for the page-to-screen adaptation trend in 2018.  

The film debuted on November 20. It's on everything from Blu-Ray combo pack, DVD and Digital. The Digital format appeared early on November 6.

ROMANCE

Crazy Rich Asians managed to land high on the Rotten Tomatoes rating scale with a 92%. Which earns the “Certified Fresh” distinction. The movie made over $236 million worldwide.

Those numbers may not be high compared to The Meg. It is good enough to be the biggest in the romantic-comedy genre since 2009’s The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

Crazy Rich Asians is a bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan. It was published in 2013. It's success led to two sequels - China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems.

It wouldn’t be a shocker if the movie had a sequel someday soon. The director John. M. Chu has already said the plans are moving forward.

If you stick through some of the credits - the wordless scene seems to tease something.

Chu is behind the camera for Crazy Rich Asians. Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim worked on the screenplay. The international cast of Constance Wu, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong and Michelle Yeoh.

The rest of the ensemble is Henry Golding, Sonoya Mizuno, Chris Pang, Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Remy Hii, Nico Santos, and Jing Lusi.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes.

While The Meg offers up its own form of entertainment - I have to go with Rotten Tomatoes here. Crazy Rich Asians is the better movie between the two.

Crazy Rich Asians may seem like a fantasy world highlighting the over-the-top extravagant lifestyle. The big houses and the multi-million dollar huge wedding. But. There’s more going on too.

I cannot forget the romantic part either. The story may have been seen plenty familiar from other romantic comedies, but the backdrop made it feel different. (Or maybe I just don't watch enough these movies.)

New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) decides to travel with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. This is a chance to meet the boyfriend’s family for the first time. The thing is there’s so much more to the boyfriend which she did not know.

Crazy Rich Asians have some style. Wu and Golding make for a good - or the unlikely couple - at the helm of the story. Wu struggles with knowing she may look like everybody in the family, but everybody sees her as something else.

I did not find the film very successful in the comedy department...since comedy is used to promote the movie. I think it does better on the drama front and even the romance. 

And I did grow to like Rachel and Nick as a couple over the 120 minutes. I wanted to see how things panned out.

The standout moment for me, anyway, a sequence of the song ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love.’ I thought it was done quite beautifully and brings out a lot of emotions in the scene. 

Whenever the sequel happens…I will probably watch it too.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The regular DVD only has the Crazy Rich Fun segment.

Crazy Rich Fun (7 minutes, 18 seconds)

- The behind-the-scenes reel. There’s discussion about the book, filming, and casting. It's the most interesting segment of the bunch.  

Gag Reel (1 minute, 47 seconds)  

- It’s not much in talking. But a lot of cast being silly.

Deleted Scenes (12 minutes, 10 seconds)

- A few scenes are cut from the movie. Others are just extensions of scenes that are already in the movie. It really depends on your preference.

Commentary by Director Jon M. Chu and Novelist Kevin Kwan.

- Depends on Viewer interest.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment 

The Meg: A Very Big Shark

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Oh. Wait.

That’s a different shark movie.

The Meg debuted on November 13. It's on everything from 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-Ray combo pack, Digital and DVD Special Edition. The Digital format appeared early on October 30.

BELOW

Counting the movie surprises of 2018 - The Meg will be on the list. It made over $527 million worldwide but landed just 45% on the Rotten Tomatoes rating scale.

The surprising box-office result makes it the biggest shark movie since 1975’s Jaws. Of course, most people know the Steven Spielberg film created the summer blockbuster.

And in 2018, Jaws still remains the gold standard for the shark genre. This rings so true that director Jon Turtletaub even stated in the press the mission was to “set out to make the second best shark movie of all time." (Source: The Hollywood Reporter.)

Critics will probably disagree on the statement. 

The Meg is based on a novel, just like Jaws. The Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror is written by Steve Alten and initially published in 1997. The story has spanned into a series to eight novels, so far.      

The Meg is directed by Turtletaub with Jason Statham and award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing leading the charge. The main cast is rounded out by Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Page Kennedy, Jessica McNamee, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Robert Taylor, Sophia Cai, Masi Oka, and Cliff Curtis.  

 TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes - but more for a rainy day.

The comparisons to Jaws are inevitable. There are even a couple homages to the film if you really pay attention. But in the end, The Meg does not dethrone Jaws.

It is a pretty watchable movie though. I never felt bored during the 113 minute time (with credits.)

I also have not read any of the Steve Alten novels, so I can’t really take those into account. The screenplay was by Dean Georgaris, Jon and Erich Hoeber.

The film is crazy, silly and just a touch over-the-top. But there’s a few decent jolts and some moments of shark-terror-intensity. 

The story is not too complicated. A deep-sea expedition leads to a mysterious creature attacking. What could it be?

For some reason, the movie plays it out as a mystery for the first half hour. Spoiler - the title gives it away.

The Megalodon is eventually unleashed. It’s a very big shark, of course. The rest of the movie is basically trying to stop it before there’s more destruction.

It’s Jason Statham versus a giant CGI shark, in a nutshell. Although the cast like Li Bingbing and others end up with a good workout around water. Despite how silly things may look, the cast takes it seriously.

The Meg will not win any Oscars. If you like shark movies though, it may just be worth the look.     

How surprising was The Meg result? There’s already rumblings of a sequel.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The features are not all that extensive if you compare to other DVDs. It covers the necessary ground.

Chomp On This: The Making of The Meg (12 minutes, 9 seconds)

- This is the behind-the-scenes reel. Director Turtletaub, cast and crew discuss stunts, shooting on water and even having to take a one-week water safety course.

Creating The Beast (10 minutes, 25 seconds)  

- A lot of thought goes into what the megalodon would look like. Science knows they existed but not much on how they look from the fin to teeth. They think a real one went up to 60 ft in size, but the movie pushed it to 75 ft.  

New Zealand Film Commission (1 minute, 53 seconds)

- The cast in crew discusses the love and enjoyment of shooting in New Zealand.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

Teen Titans GO! to the Movies: Small Screen To Big

A lot of superheroes are getting a movie these days. Why not Teen Titans GO!?  

Teen Titans GO! to the Movies debuts on October 30. It's on everything from Blu-Ray combo pack, Digital, and DVD. The Digital format appeared early on October 9. 

SUPER

Teen Titans GO! to the Movies made over $51 million worldwide. It may be easy to scoff at the box office haul compared to other superhero films. 

But.

The flick doesn’t come close to the budget of some of those other movies. It also landed a 91% on the (debatable) Rotten Tomatoes rating scale. It is good for a ‘Certified Fresh.’ 

Some of those bigger superhero movies were beaten on that front. 

Examples - Avengers: Infinity War - 84%. Ant-Man and the Wasp - 88%.    

(In fairness, a lot more critics reviewed those other movies.)

Teen Titans Go! is a comic book and television series. The show is underway of its fifth season in 2013 on the Cartoon Network. The story behind that could lead to a few more hundred words. I will leave the background alone. 

The DC Entertainment and Cartoon’s Network’s show sees Greg Cipes (Beast Boy), Scott Menville (Robin), Khary Payton (Cyborg), Tara Strong (Raven) and Hynden Walch (Starfire), all making the move from the series to the big screen. Will Arnett and Kristen Bell round out the cast.    

Peter Rida Michail and Aaron Horvath directed the film from a screenplay by Michael Jelenic and Horvath.

The Teen Titans - or more Robin - is determined to be in his own
movie. 

Superman has been on the big screen. Batman does too. Wonder Woman. Even Green Lantern.

Of course, this means the Titans need to get a Hollywood director to notice them. It wouldn’t be an adventure without a Supervillain Slade to mess with their plans either.

TAKE 

Would I buy this film? Yes - it would make a pretty good gift for kids who like superheroes.

For myself though? If I was younger I know it would be something  I would watch again. But I am quite happy with the one viewing. 

The movie does come across like a Saturday morning cartoon feature. The PG adventure clocks in at a brisk 84 minutes, but it does feel long enough too. 

After darker adventures with The Avengers and Batman v Superman - Teen Titans GO! offers a surprising dose of zany and silliness. 

I can’t say I was much aware of what Teen Titans or Teen Titans GO! were about before this. 

A lot of the humour and action is clearly aimed at the younger set of the audience. For the kid-at-heart with a decent knowledge of comic book characters and those pesky superhero movies, there are still points to find amusing. (Even taking a jab at the particular Batman v Superman film.) 

Superman is voiced by Nicholas Cage. There is a reason for it. There are references to some 80s movies and a cameo master, who may have ties to Marvel.   

The voice cast is solid, overall. From the basic animation, which is used less nowadays in feature films, it works fairly well. The story takes some crazy and surprising turns too…musical numbers anyone?   

Teen Titans GO! to the Movies will likely hold many parents - or just adults - attention. But I can see more of the kids getting the bigger kick out of the viewing experience.         

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW 

The DVD only has the Storyboard Animatics for the features.

Lil Yachty Music Video: Teen Titans GO! Rap (2 minutes, 9 seconds.)

- Lil Yachty gets animated to help rap to the Teen Titans GO! Song.   

Sing-a-long with Silkie 
Rap (1 minute, 56 seconds.)
Inspirational (2 minutes, 41 seconds)
Superhero (2 minutes, 23 seconds)

- Remember those musical numbers mentioned? Well, here you can not only replay them, but they offer up words to help you sing them better.

“DC Super Hero Girls: The Late Batsby” Mini-Movie (4 minutes, 14 seconds)

- Considering this as the highlight of the special features. It’s a very short story of a young Batgirl trying to keep her secret from her father, while Mr. Freeze is unleashing mayhem on the city. 

Red Carpet Mayhem (2 minutes, 10 seconds.)

- Really feels like a promotional clip used for the movie before it got released. Feels unnecessary after watching the movie.

Teen Titans GO! To the Movies: WB Lot Shenanigans (3 minutes, 56 seconds.)

- This is completely set in the real world. The Teen Titans GO! Set out to get on the Warner Brothers Lot. They sneak onto the lot, but the security guard is on their trail. No talking. Just music. Maybe points for uniqueness. 

Everything is Fake (51 seconds)

- Storyboards of a song which was cut from the movie.

Teen Titans GO!: Translated (2 minutes, 18 seconds)

- Clips from the film and translated into five other languages like German and Hebrew.

Storyboard Animatics:
Time Cycles and The Final Battle (2 minutes, 41 seconds.)

Sequences from the movie and how they looked at the storyboarding stage of production. Unless you like behind-the-scenes look, don't bother.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

Ocean's 8: Stylish Ladies

Ocean’s 8 is the ladies turn for a heist.

Ocean’s 8 debuted on September 11. It's on everything from 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-Ray combo pack, Digital and DVD Special Edition. The Digital format appeared early on August 21.

OCEAN

Ocean’s 8 made over $294 million worldwide. It landed 68% on the Rotten Tomatoes rating scale.

The heist inspiration, of course, stretches back to Ocean’s 11 in 1960. The flick starred Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean and the likes of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, as they plan to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night. The 'Rat Pack' flick.

Ocean’s 8 connects to the updated Ocean’s Eleven (2001). This is where George Clooney stepped in as Danny Ocean. The ensemble cast with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon set out to rob three Vegas casinos in one night.

Steven Soderbergh directed Ocean's Eleven. It became successful enough for the crew to work again in Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007).   

Soderbergh returned as producer for Ocean’s 8. Gary Ross went behind the camera for the Village Roadshow and Rahway Road production. Ross helped pen the new heist with Olivia Milch.  

The ladies ensemble includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sara Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter. Late Late Show host James Corden even pops up.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes.

Ocean’s 8 connection to the George Clooney-led trilogy is still having an Ocean as the mastermind. Sandra Bullock plays Debbie Ocean - Danny Ocean’s sister.

If you are familiar with the Ocean’s trilogy, there are a few nods to those movies along the way. Not just in the style either for the PG-13 flick.

Ocean’s 8 definitely has style.

Heist films have an appeal too. They can come in different forms like being set during War World II in Kelly’s Heroes (1970) or in a bank like Inside Man (2006).

Ocean’s 8 mission is to steal a diamond necklace. Debbie has been in prison for over five years. She had time to make plans. The necklace is to be worn on actress Daphne Kluger (Hathaway) during an event. Which is the very exclusive - very public - Met Gala.          

Everyone has a role. The partner-in-crime, jeweler, street con, expert fence, hacker and fashion designer.

If you have seen any of the Clooney movies, you may already know the game plan and even the result. Sure, you may not find out a ton about the characters, but I believe the fun lies in watching the plan unfold.

And yes, I found it to be plenty of fun for the 110 minutes.   

Maybe even the best Ocean’s movie since Eleven.

(Although I have not seen the Sinatra version.)   

I would watch Ocean’s 9.  

Or even an Ocean's 5. 

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

A Heist in Heels (11 minutes, 35 seconds)

- The cast discusses the role of the ladies in the film. The attempt to make the movie feel like an ‘Ocean’ movie, but also distinctive from the guys.

Ocean’s Team 3.0 (13 minutes, 20 seconds)

- A conversation and a closer look at the 8 characters. Well, really what you can cram into 13 minutes.

Reimagining the Met Gala (12 minutes, 47 seconds)

- This is probably the most interesting of the bunch. The heist takes place at the Met in New York City. Scenes were actually shot at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to keep as much realism. The Costume Institute of the Met provided background. Vogue consulted as they hosted the gala and filming took place at the magazine's offices. The exhibition in the film was treated like something in a real museum and of course, the gowns and designers were highlighted.

Deleted Scenes (1 minute, 53 seconds)

- There are only two scenes. They add a tiny bit more texture to the story, more details of the Met Gala and teasing Paulson’s mom life. But overall did seem unnecessary.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment