Action Blu-ray Review

Review: ‘Ocean’s 8’s All-Star Female Cast are Scene-Stealers on 4K

September 18, 2018Ben MK



FEATURE: 
Arriving about a decade after the last entry in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy, Ocean's 8 offers yet another fun, light-on-its-feet take on the heist genre. However, the mere fact that the film's principle cast is comprised entirely of women also makes it a conversation-starter about gender equality and diversity in Hollywood.

Starring Sandra Bullock as the sister of George Clooney's Danny Ocean, Ocean's 8 follows Debbie Ocean (Bullock), a con artist who's just been paroled after a five-year prison stint. Of course, it doesn't take Debbie long to revert to her old ways, as she immediately sets about assembling a team — best friend Lou (Cate Blanchett), bankrupt fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter), jeweller Amita (Mindy Kaling), hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina) and fence Tammy (Sarah Paulson), not to mention unsuspecting red carpet darling Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) — to steal the Toussaint, a 6-pound diamond necklace worth a cool $150 million.

Directed and co-written by Gary Ross, who shares the screenplay credit with Olivia Milch, Ocean's 8 has got it where it counts. Even if this were just two hours of banter between Bullock and Blanchett, the pair's on-screen chemistry would make the result worth watching. Instead, we get six more charismatic performances. And while some of these actresses have limited material to work with, it's still incredibly difficult to choose a favorite from this ensemble cast, which is to say that the film in no uncertain terms accomplishes what it sets out to do.

AUDIO & VISUALS: 
Looking and sounding nothing short of glamorous, Ocean's 8 debuts on 4K dressed in a slick 2160p video encode, paired with an equally impressive Dolby Atmos sound mix. Visually, there's not an element out of place; picture quality is sharp as a tack, the HDR colors of the cast's Met Gala outfits are wonderfully vibrant, and contrast is spot-on. Meanwhile, on the audio side, the story is much the same, as the film's sound design shines through with ease, from the bustle of New York City traffic to composer Daniel Pemberton's snappy score.

EXTRAS: 
Warner's two-disc 4K Ultra HD release includes an UltraViolet/Movies Anywhere digital copy and a Blu-ray copy of the film. There are no special features on the 4K disc, but the following extras can be found on the Blu-ray:

  • Deleted Scenes (1:53) - Two scenes.
  • Reimagining the Met Gala (12:47) - A look at the integral role the Met Gala plays in the movie, the production design behind the film version, and of course the costumes and dress designs.
  • A Heist in Heels (11:35) - Director Gary Ross and the cast talk about what makes Ocean's 8 special.
  • Ocean's Team 3.0 (13:20) - A closer look at the cast and the relationship between their characters.

Ocean's 8 is available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment as of September 11th, 2018. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray features English Dolby Atmos, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, and English Dolby Digital 5.1 Descriptive Audio tracks. The film is presented with English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. The total runtime is 1 hr. 50 min.




* Reviewer's note: Portions of this 4K Blu-ray review were adapted from my original review of the theatrical release, published on June 7th, 2018.



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