When we slot women into roles created for men, we place a near impossible task into their hands, wrapped in a pretty pink bow.
Make this movie enjoyable for women, we say, when it was always written with a male audience in mind.
That’s the parcel movie executives handed the Ocean’s 8 cast when they signed up for a spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s beloved Ocean’s trilogy, the male-led heist series that collectively pickpocketed over one billion dollars from fans between 2001 and 2007.
Only this time, 11 years on from Ocean’s 13, a freshly out of prison Debbie Ocean (played by Sandra Bullock) and her former accomplice Lou (Cate Blanchett) assemble a team of thieves to sink their teeth into something more sugary and glittery than the men’s greasy casinos; New York City’s MET Gala.
Their mission sees the likes of disgraced designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), jewellery maker Amita (Mindy Kaling), suburban mum Tammy (Sarah Paulson), pickpocket Constance (Nora Lum Ying), technical genius Nine Ball (Rihanna), and malleable actress and Met Gala co-host Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) collude to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace.
To exact revenge on Ocean’s ex-boyfriend in the process is something of a vindictive side hustle to the main heist.

While critical responses to the spin-off have been tepid - a number of male reviewers have expressed their dismay at this "middling" revival - Ocean's 8 delivers on what its audience wants it to be upon walking into the cinema armed with popcorn and choc-tops; a delicious, slick take on something utterly ridiculous.
Is the plot a little cookie-cutter? Perhaps.
Its twists and turns were largely predictable, thus rendering Ocean's 8 a movie that will not rack up awards and accolades. But was it thoroughly, endearingly entertaining for the masses, as you would expect from a heist movie?
God, yes.
As others will tell you, Bullock's performance was particularly noteworthy. The actress was powerful and enigmatic as the movie's protagonist, and her performance over the 110 minutes will make you hop into your Holden Barina and almost convince yourself it's a G-wagon (sorry, it's still a Barina). The actress' ability to command a room with her steely stare alone is something to behold.
Top Comments
I saw this and thought it was meh. It was too close to the original in details, lacked snappy dialogue and was generally a bit boring.
So basically you're saying that those horrible male reviewers were reasonably correct in their reviews but it's still an entertaining, if uninspired, time waster?
I think I'll wait for it to come onto to Foxtel.
"Is the plot cookie cutter? Yes. Is it predictable? Yes? Does the character chemistry work? Not really. But how dare reviewers describe it as middle of the road!!"