Ocean's Twelve (2004)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Steven Soderbergh's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Before George Clooney was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
Ocean's Twelve is a 2004 American heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, the sequel to his enormously successful Ocean's Eleven. When casino owner Terry Benedict, played by Andy Garcia, tracks down each member of Danny Ocean's crew and demands repayment of the $160 million they stole โ plus interest โ the team must pull off three elaborate heists across Europe to raise the funds, while being pursued by a Europol detective played by Catherine Zeta-Jones who has a romantic history with Rusty Ryan. Ocean's Twelve was the most divisive entry in the franchise, with Soderbergh deliberately moving away from the slick, satisfying heist formula of the original toward a more experimental, self-indulgent approach that prioritized the cast's chemistry and European location shooting over narrative clarity.
The meta sequence in which Tess Ocean, played by Julia Roberts, impersonates Julia Roberts was either brilliantly playful or insufferably smug depending on the viewer. The revelation that the main heist had been accomplished off-screen before the film even began was a structural twist that frustrated some audiences. Despite mixed reviews, Ocean's Twelve earned $362 million worldwide.
