I think any Oceans movie without Soderbergh is doomed for failure. Oceans 11, 12, and 13 had a skeleton of a plot and only worked because of strong character development and cinematographic style.

The all female cast can work, but the film will rely on the crew having the same chemistry as the previous Oceans capers. Further, the characters are only interesting because so much time is devoted to their stories in unexpected ways.

The first movie is about trying to get a marriage back together.

The second movie is about reconnecting with an old love.

The third movie is about having your friend’s back and sticking up for someone.

The caper is secondary…almost an afterthought.

I never watched the Oceans movies for the story or the plot. Actually, the plots can have some pretty big holes when you think about it. I watched Oceans for those moments of pure style and dry humor and I think it’s why people can watch them multiple times.

I hope Oceans 8 can pull off the same vibe. If it can then I’m in the theater.