PICK OF THE WEEK: OCEAN'S THIRTEEN
Proof that an entire film franchise can actually be built solely on the charm of its leads and a few snazzily executed capers.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his gang (Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, et al.) are basically running on fumes this time out, but
"Ocean's Thirteen" still had its fans and grossed another $100 million+ at the box office. It's also a lot better than the other threequel to hit DVD this week: "Shrek the Third."
Returning director Steven Soderbergh added a couple of new faces to the mix, namely Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin, but don't expect to see return appearances by former female leads Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Don't expect an "Ocean's Fourteen" either, most everyone involved has said it's time to move on. At least that makes the new "Ocean's Trilogy" DVD boxed sets (available in regular, Blu-ray or HD-DVD formats) less of a rip-off.
"Ocean's Thirteen" is also available on Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
Also released:
"Amazing Grace"
"Driftwood"
"Flywheel (Director's Cut)"
"La Vie en Rose" (Extended Version)
"Paris je t'aime" (Two-Disc Limited Collector's Edition)
"Shrek the Third" (also HD-DVD)
"This is England" "Urban Justice"
Older titles and re-issues:
"Berlin Alexanderplatz" (Criterion Collection)
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition)" (also Blu-ray)
"It's a Wonderful Life (Two-Disc Collector's Set)"
"Pride & Prejudice (Deluxe Two-Disc Gift Set)" (also HD-DVD)
"The Princess Bride (20th Anniversary Edition)"
Boxed set:
"The Shrek Trilogy"
