Ranking the Thieves of Ocean's 11
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Ocean's 11 is the essential heist movie. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, the star studded cast gives us a memorable two hours that would make even the straightest of squares desire a life of crime. However, the entire crew doesn't pull their own weight equally. Using information from the original film and its more forgettable sequels, Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13, we ranked the thieves by how useful they'd be in a future heist. Despite not being on the crew for the original movie, Tess Ocean was put on this list because of her role in Ocean's 12.
12.Reuben Tishkoff(played by Elliott Gould)
Sure, Reuben was one of the key motivations behind their heists in the original and the third installment. The most iconic thing he did in the trilogy was have a heart attack. However, he didn't do much to help the operations. In fact, he even discouraged Danny and Rusty from doing the job against Benedict in Ocean's 11. While the other characters could all bring a physical trait to the table, if nothing else, Reuben could only bring his savvy business mind to our fantasy team of robbers.
11.Virgil Malloy(played by Casey Affleck)
Every mission needs a getaway driver and a mechanic. This is the role that Virgil and his brother Turk fulfill. The problem is, this is supposed to be an All-Star team, not the Cleveland Cavaliers' bench. The twins have done nothing to show us they're even close to being the best drivers on a planet inhabited by brilliant engineers and speedy NASCAR racers. As for their role as mechanics, it seems very unnecessary and redundant considering Basher Tarr and Livingston Dell are already on the crew, who seem more proficient with electronics and machines. Turk is only ahead of Virgil because Virgil's lack of respect for his orders and his mission jeopardized the mission in Ocean's 13 when he singlehandedly engineered the strike in the Mexican dice factory.
10.Turk Malloy(played by Scott Caan)
See above.
9.Danny Ocean(played by George Clooney)
This is a controversial place to put the namesake of the trilogy and one of the ringleaders of each operation, but Danny and Rusty are two birds of the same feather, and Rusty is better. Who was the mastermind behind the original operation when Danny jeopardized it by going after Tess? Rusty. In Ocean's 12, who did the entire crew say they'd go to if they had a problem? Rusty. Clearly, Danny is the inferior leader, and there isn't a lot of value to having multiple masterminds around.
8.Tess Ocean(played by Julia Roberts)
Now, Tess is at a bit of a disadvantage considering she only had one film to prove herself as a master thief. Sadly, her one performance with her husband's crew wasn't enough to vault her into the top half. Tess showed a lot of promise in her rookie campaign, proving she could definitely has wits that could give her an advantage in future jobs and charm that could practically convince the guards to hand her the money. However, the gimmick she pulled in Ocean's 12, pretending to be Julia Roberts, the actress who played her has a slim chance of working again. Unfortunately, she seems like an unlikely candidate to partake in another heist considering she berated Danny for putting her in a situation where she had to break the law.
7.Linus Caldwell(played by Matt Damon)
Linus screams potential, improving a lot in each job. At the beginning of the trilogy, he was just a nervous kid. When the final credits rolled in Ocean's 13, Linus had stepped into his own as a thief, tricking one of the top people at the casino and adding a crucial contribution to the heist. His father's experience as a world class con artist is equally as encouraging. He's an overall "glue guy," but it's difficult to see Linus Caldwell headlining a mission because he doesn't have a dominant area of expertise the way the top 6 do.
6.Livingston Dell(played by Eddie Jemison)
Dell's skills are not to be denied. He does his job in surveillance and tech undeniably well and fills an essential position, but he's far from perfect. First of all, his nervous antics have put the jobs in Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 13 in danger. Second of all, he failed in his task in Ocean's 13 and had to call Roman Nagel to do the mission for him. Livingston is undoubtedly an electronics wizard, but our fantasy heist crew could be in some hot water should their tech guy not come through on the big day.
5.Saul Bloom(played by Carl Reiner)
Saul's no spring chicken, but like an aging LeBron James or Tom Brady, he will always add heaps of value to his team, no matter his age. A brilliant actor like Saul is always a huge advantage, and is one of the keys to infiltrating a massive business. The only thing holding the old-timer back is his age and physical abilities.
4.Frank Catton(played by Bernie Mac)
An inside man like Frank gives any crew a huge leg up. Frank's role in Ocean's 11 may have been the catalyst in their success. Knowing the operations of the other side makes for a much easier heist. The only drawback is, if it wasn't a casino heist, Frank wouldn't add much, as despite his key roles in Ocean's 11 and 13, he didn't do much in the second installment.
T2.The Amazing Yen(played by Qin Shaobo)
Along with Basher Tarr, The Amazing Yen is one of the key physical crew members. He makes the impossible possible with his mind bending abilities to find away in anywhere. If money or valuables are hidden in a safe, it's a slam dunk for Yen. Relying solely on him, the team could make off with millions of dollars.
T2.Basher Tarr(played by Don Cheadle)
Basher's incredible abilities with explosives could quite literally open countless doors for the crew. He could blow the top off any roof he wanted, a skill not utilized in the trilogy. Plus, he operated machines that could create earthquakes, blackouts, and whatever the imagination can conjure that would open opportunities for the rest of the gang.
1.Rusty Ryan(played by Brad Pitt)
As outlined in Danny's piece, Rusty is clearly the dominant mastermind. He was the clear ringleader in engineering the first job. Each character on this list has their own skill and abilities, but Rusty can bring them all together to create a sum greater than its parts and complete a massive heist that none of them could do solo. I think Steven Soderbergh, the director of the trilogy came to believe this as well, and this is why he had Rusty be in the final scene in both Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13. The only problem would be the massive food bill Rusty would rack up with his penchant for eating.
Ocean's 11 is the essential heist movie. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, the star studded cast gives us a memorable two hours that would make even the straightest of squares desire a life of crime. However, the entire crew doesn't pull their own weight equally. Using information from the original film and its more forgettable sequels, Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13, we ranked the thieves by how useful they'd be in a future heist. Despite not being on the crew for the original movie, Tess Ocean was put on this list because of her role in Ocean's 12.
12.Reuben Tishkoff(played by Elliott Gould)
Sure, Reuben was one of the key motivations behind their heists in the original and the third installment. The most iconic thing he did in the trilogy was have a heart attack. However, he didn't do much to help the operations. In fact, he even discouraged Danny and Rusty from doing the job against Benedict in Ocean's 11. While the other characters could all bring a physical trait to the table, if nothing else, Reuben could only bring his savvy business mind to our fantasy team of robbers.
11.Virgil Malloy(played by Casey Affleck)
Every mission needs a getaway driver and a mechanic. This is the role that Virgil and his brother Turk fulfill. The problem is, this is supposed to be an All-Star team, not the Cleveland Cavaliers' bench. The twins have done nothing to show us they're even close to being the best drivers on a planet inhabited by brilliant engineers and speedy NASCAR racers. As for their role as mechanics, it seems very unnecessary and redundant considering Basher Tarr and Livingston Dell are already on the crew, who seem more proficient with electronics and machines. Turk is only ahead of Virgil because Virgil's lack of respect for his orders and his mission jeopardized the mission in Ocean's 13 when he singlehandedly engineered the strike in the Mexican dice factory.
10.Turk Malloy(played by Scott Caan)
See above.
9.Danny Ocean(played by George Clooney)
This is a controversial place to put the namesake of the trilogy and one of the ringleaders of each operation, but Danny and Rusty are two birds of the same feather, and Rusty is better. Who was the mastermind behind the original operation when Danny jeopardized it by going after Tess? Rusty. In Ocean's 12, who did the entire crew say they'd go to if they had a problem? Rusty. Clearly, Danny is the inferior leader, and there isn't a lot of value to having multiple masterminds around.
8.Tess Ocean(played by Julia Roberts)
Now, Tess is at a bit of a disadvantage considering she only had one film to prove herself as a master thief. Sadly, her one performance with her husband's crew wasn't enough to vault her into the top half. Tess showed a lot of promise in her rookie campaign, proving she could definitely has wits that could give her an advantage in future jobs and charm that could practically convince the guards to hand her the money. However, the gimmick she pulled in Ocean's 12, pretending to be Julia Roberts, the actress who played her has a slim chance of working again. Unfortunately, she seems like an unlikely candidate to partake in another heist considering she berated Danny for putting her in a situation where she had to break the law.
7.Linus Caldwell(played by Matt Damon)
Linus screams potential, improving a lot in each job. At the beginning of the trilogy, he was just a nervous kid. When the final credits rolled in Ocean's 13, Linus had stepped into his own as a thief, tricking one of the top people at the casino and adding a crucial contribution to the heist. His father's experience as a world class con artist is equally as encouraging. He's an overall "glue guy," but it's difficult to see Linus Caldwell headlining a mission because he doesn't have a dominant area of expertise the way the top 6 do.
6.Livingston Dell(played by Eddie Jemison)
Dell's skills are not to be denied. He does his job in surveillance and tech undeniably well and fills an essential position, but he's far from perfect. First of all, his nervous antics have put the jobs in Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 13 in danger. Second of all, he failed in his task in Ocean's 13 and had to call Roman Nagel to do the mission for him. Livingston is undoubtedly an electronics wizard, but our fantasy heist crew could be in some hot water should their tech guy not come through on the big day.
5.Saul Bloom(played by Carl Reiner)
Saul's no spring chicken, but like an aging LeBron James or Tom Brady, he will always add heaps of value to his team, no matter his age. A brilliant actor like Saul is always a huge advantage, and is one of the keys to infiltrating a massive business. The only thing holding the old-timer back is his age and physical abilities.
4.Frank Catton(played by Bernie Mac)
An inside man like Frank gives any crew a huge leg up. Frank's role in Ocean's 11 may have been the catalyst in their success. Knowing the operations of the other side makes for a much easier heist. The only drawback is, if it wasn't a casino heist, Frank wouldn't add much, as despite his key roles in Ocean's 11 and 13, he didn't do much in the second installment.
T2.The Amazing Yen(played by Qin Shaobo)
Along with Basher Tarr, The Amazing Yen is one of the key physical crew members. He makes the impossible possible with his mind bending abilities to find away in anywhere. If money or valuables are hidden in a safe, it's a slam dunk for Yen. Relying solely on him, the team could make off with millions of dollars.
T2.Basher Tarr(played by Don Cheadle)
Basher's incredible abilities with explosives could quite literally open countless doors for the crew. He could blow the top off any roof he wanted, a skill not utilized in the trilogy. Plus, he operated machines that could create earthquakes, blackouts, and whatever the imagination can conjure that would open opportunities for the rest of the gang.
1.Rusty Ryan(played by Brad Pitt)
As outlined in Danny's piece, Rusty is clearly the dominant mastermind. He was the clear ringleader in engineering the first job. Each character on this list has their own skill and abilities, but Rusty can bring them all together to create a sum greater than its parts and complete a massive heist that none of them could do solo. I think Steven Soderbergh, the director of the trilogy came to believe this as well, and this is why he had Rusty be in the final scene in both Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13. The only problem would be the massive food bill Rusty would rack up with his penchant for eating.
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