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One of my favorite types of movie is the ensemble pic. While they are the easiest to tangle up given the many plot strings needed tying up, they can also be the most satisfying, getting a diverse perspective on a plot and character interaction that a film with a single lead can’t provide. This weekend, the star-studded New Year’s Eve drops into theaters to ring out the “holiday” cash like the quasi-sequel/carbon copy of last year’s moneymaker Valentine’s Day. While I will avoid the awful looking star-fest like it’s predecessor, ten years ago on the same weekend another celebrity lined ensemble film debuted, but this one was done right.

Ocean’s Eleven was made in 1960 as an excuse for Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack buddies to hang out in Las Vegas and get paid for it, producing a lucratively entertaining but weak scripted film. But does the 2001 remake have that much of a different motive underlying it? Not really.

However, with a smart script and relaxed vibe, Ocean’s Eleven 2001 overcomes the original’s sometimes lackadaisical qualities and makes the film a lark for the audience as well as the cast.

The plot is simple, but the mission is difficult. Fresh out of jail, Danny Ocean (George Clooney, the only character to keep the same name from the original), hatches a harebrained scheme to rob three Las Vegas casinos in one night for a haul of $150 million.

Stylish and sexy, the air-headed lightness that director Steven Soderbergh (who got a little more mainstream this year with the A-list cast of Contagion) brings to the film balances the elaborate heist scheme, making it sound just crazy enough to work.

What I liked best about Ocean’s Eleven was its comedic tone that gives it an unusual quality within the serious heist genre. This works well with the glitz and glam of the flashing, bright lights city of Las Vegas.

Attempting to rob $150 million, that is probably not too far off from how much the film would have cost if the $20 million-a-picture commanding friends didn’t agree to work on some type of scale. Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Carl Reiner, and Julia Roberts are just some of the names that drew in the audience.

Released when star power still reigned supreme, Ocean’s crew stole the number one spot with a healthy $38.1 million, ($53.6 million today). With long legs throughout the Holiday season, Ocean’s Eleven ended up with $183.4 million ($255.3 million adjusted) against an $85 million budget. The marquee names helped boost foreign grosses that raked in an additional $267.3 million.

After the movie was over, I, like most others, were eager to see the crew pull off another heist, while the box office take allowed for another sequel to be commissioned. Turns out movies about robbing vaults put a good loot of money into Warner Bros vault.

Critics gave the film kudos too, earning a rave 85% amongst top critics on Rotten Tomatoes. While noting the popcorn entertainment it provides, the main reason for the film’s success were the actors.

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