Ocean’s 11 (2001) – Danny Ocean (George Clooney) likes taking chances. All he asks is that his handpicked squad of ten grifters and cons play the game like they have nothing to lose. If all goes right, the payoff will be a fat $150 million.

Ocean’s 12 (2004) – They’re back. And then some. Twelve is the new eleven when Danny Ocean and pals return in a sequel to the cool caper that saw them pull off a $150 million heist. But $150 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. It’s time to pull off another stunner of a plan. Exciting locations include Amsterdam, Paris and Rome.

Ocean’s 13 (2007) – Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for the most dazzling heist yet, after casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the eleven, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and more reteam with director Steven Soderbergh for a split-second caper that stacks the deck with wit, style and cool.

For thoughts on The Ocean’s Trilogy, please check out op-eds from my colleagues here, here, and here.

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentations of Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, and Ocean’s Thirteen offer an unbelievable uptick in quality over the ancient Blu-Ray discs from 2007 which were inconsistent for the time and is simply not up to modern standards with a lacking VC-1 encode. The new transfers are derived from a new 4K remaster completed at MPI as overseen by director Steven Soderbergh. This package does not come with any Blu-Ray discs so be sure you are 4K UHD capable if you pick up this release. This trilogy has been hotly anticipated on the format for many, and this release delivers the goods.

The color grade appears to be much more balanced and in line with the original intention of Soderbergh, allowing this trilogy to finally reach the vibrant heights it deserves. The HDR10 captures the aesthetic and gives us something nuanced and faithful. Whether we are talking about the dazzling Vegas lights of the bookends or the European locales of Ocean’s Twelve, you can prepare for a visual feast. Soderbergh is a big fan of bold aesthetic choices, and every color grade choice or visual flourish works better on this format. Highlights, for example, are purer with greater definition and balance while still executing the intentionally blown highlights for creative effect. There is a greater level of precision when the film deploys this effect. The black levels maintain remarkable shadow detail, staying deep and inky with no signs of crush or compression artifacts.

These transfers reward by retaining the organic film grain which has not had any significant digital tinkering applied, leaving this disc clear of ugly DNR, compression artifacts, and other encoding issues. From Ocean’s Eleven forward, you are treated to impeccably resolved grain that avoids appearing clumpy or swarming across the screen in unnatural ways. Skin tones appear natural, although maybe a touch warm in some moments of Thirteen, with a stellar amount of detail on faces such as pores and stubble. The production design in the casinos and the various hangouts is rendered with expert precision, although Thirteen might once again be lacking in the most raw detail. There are welcome textures that are now visible for the first time. All three are excellent transfers that destroy the old presentations.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentation thankfully comes with a new DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio audio track for each film overseen by original re-recording sound mixer and sound editor Larry Blake. These upgrades bring the films to life with a lush fidelity they have been sorely missing. The previous Blu-Rays had a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track, so the upgrade is quite substantial in terms of sonic capabilities. The tracks make vital use of the surround speakers with environmental flourishes and sound effects adding a lot of rich activity in the different locales. The effortlessly cool score and certain tunes never experience anything in the way of age-related distortion.

Each element flows through the room in an exciting manner which helps the film spring to life. The track pulls its weight in the low end with some vital texture, even if this doesn’t have the obvious powerhouse flourishes of an action film. The movie is dialogue-heavy and clarity is never an issue despite some very swift exchanges at times. Warner Bros. has done some beautiful work with this one by providing a faithful track that sounds wonderful. A large array of optional subtitles is provided.

Special Features

Ocean’s Eleven

Audio Commentaries: There are two archival commentary tracks provided in which key cast members and the behind-the-scenes masterminds recount their experiences during the production in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion which is both incredibly information and genuinely funny.

- Audio Commentary #1: Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin

- Audio Commentary #2: Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Brad Pitt

Are You In or Out? The Making of Ocean’s Eleven: A 28-minute documentary from 2013 is provided which mixes in newer interviews with archival ones that delve into the reimagining of the property, the assembling of the ensemble, the shooting locations, and more.

Pros & Cons – Inside Ocean’s Outfit: A 13-minute featurette that goes into more depth with the members of the team and the role they play.

The Style of Steal: An 11-minute piece that explores the effortless style this film exudes and how the creative team realizes the aesthetic on screen.

The Look of the Con: A ten-minute exploration of the costumes featured in the film.

Original Ocean’s, Original Cool: A 14-minute look back at the original Ocean’s 11 and the presence of the Rat Pack in popular culture.

Ocean’s Twelve

Audio Commentary: Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter George Nolfi provide a deeply entertaining commentary track in which they discuss what they wanted to accomplish with this outing, the original script written that contained this story, adapting to different obstacles with the performers, and more.

Ready, Jet Set, Go – The Making of Ocean’s Twelve: A 26-minute documentary from 2013 is provided which mixes in newer interviews with archival ones that delve into the creation of this follow-up, the atmosphere on set, the strive to do something different from the first film, and more.

HBO First Look: Twelve is the New Eleven – The Making of Ocean’s Twelve: An older 13-minute piece that discusses how this film was developed following the success of the first film, bringing the gang back together, and more. There are literally interviews replicated between these two featurettes, and we would recommend the other one if you can only watch one.

Ocean’s Twelve Deleted Scenes: A 28-minute selection of unused material is provided here in upscaled HD. There are some great moments that fans will want to experience, but it makes sense why they were not included in the film.

Ocean’s Thirteen

Audio Commentary: Director Steven Soderbergh and writers Brian Koppelman and David Levin provide a welcome commentary track in which they discuss what they wanted to accomplish with this outing, the development of the script, the shooting locations, and more.

Third’s A Charm – The Making of Ocean’s Thirteen: A 30-minute documentary from 2013 is provided which mixes in newer interviews with archival ones that delve into the creation of this follow-up, the atmosphere on set, the strive to do something different to close things out, and more.

Ahab with a Piggyback – The Means & Machines of Ocean’s: A nine-minute piece that looks at the technology utilized in the various heists.

Jerry Weintraub Walk and Talk: A two-and-a-half-minute tour of the set.

Masters of the Heist: A 44-minute featurette that takes a look at some of the most famous real-life heists and cons in Las Vegas history.

Ocean’s Thirteen Deleted Scenes: A five-minute selection of unused material is provided here in upscaled HD.

Final Thoughts

The Ocean’s Trilogy feels like the opportunity for Steven Soderbergh to lighten up a bit and show his playful side, and boy does he take advantage of it. The first film is especially a classic caper tale filled to the brim with A-list talent bouncing off of one another and clearly having the time of their lives. There is a sense of diminishing returns with each subsequent outing, but the two sequels are much better than the critical assessment would have you believe. These movies are the epitome of a fun time. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that destroys any previous release with a stellar A/V presentation and an excellent array of legacy special features. If you are a fan of the trilogy, you owe it to yourself to pick up this new package. Highly Recommended

The Ocean’s Trilogy is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in a Standard and SteelBook form. The films are available individually in SteelBook form. The films are also available on Digital platforms.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.