so I get that the trilogy is an easy paycheck for Hollywood buddies to pose as an ensemble cast in a self-indulgent movie that has all the drama of a 10-stroke lead for Tiger Woods on Sunday

BUT

if you accept such a premise, and liked Oceans 11 and 13, why is 12 so universally panned?

- Vincent Cassel is a more enjoyable villain than Garcia's overacted Benedict or Pacino's "WHOOHAH" version in 13, especially when pitted against the team in a spy-vs-spy sense (and you have to admire a man who wifed Monica Bellucci)

- the European, casino-less setting was perfect sequel material and shot like a classic '70s film of similar taste

- Catherine Zeta Jones! She was at her sexual peak in this film and watching her take up screen time in heels and business dress was 100x more enjoyable than seeing Julia Roberts be the tipping point for a robbery

so by my count, that makes it definitely better than 13 (a retread of 11) and comparably enjoyable to the first.

uh...any others?

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