There are certain cardinal statements that movie fans have made time and again that express some of the deepest disappointments. “The book was better.” “Who is this for?” And, of course, one of the most crushing blows anyone can land, “That sequel was horrible.” Ocean’s 12 is one title that is frequently hit with that last one, and a member of the cast, Don Cheadle, has personally been hit a number of times with that brutal response from fans reacting to that particular 2004 sequel.
While speaking with BroBible, the Marvel Cinematic Universe star reflected on the coolness of director Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Trilogy. However, what’s not cool is the fact that Don Cheadle has run into some rude folks in the wild who like to drop some spicy takes on the much-maligned middle child of the saga. But that movie yielded one of his best memories in making those films for the star, and as a result, his feelings about the experience are both sweet and sour. Said Cheadle,
All of us coming together in Europe to shoot the second one, which is the one people feel with completely no compunctions to come up to you and say, ‘I didn’t like that one.’ It’s like, that’s cool, you didn’t have to @ me when you said that.
Admittedly, Ocean’s 12 is the entry that everyone likes to rag on for one reason or another. Be it the Julia Roberts playing herself twist, the seemingly less cool European art house vibe folks couldn’t adapt to after the Rat Pack style glory of Ocean’s Eleven, or… again, that Roberts twist really did rub a lot of people the wrong way, there are flaws that cinephiles can point too. That being said, there really isn't much of an excuse for a person to go up to Don Cheadle and say, “Hello, nice to meet you. I didn’t like your movie.”
While we all personally harbor passionate feelings about different movies, it’s pretty rude to pan a particular title when meeting an actor. Surely a chance encounter with Don Cheadle could very easily pivot to other, more polite topics. Seeing as the man’s a fixture of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Col. James Rhodes, and he’s even done a Captain Planet riff for Funny or Die, there’s plenty more to talk about than just dunking on Ocean’s 12.
Still, there could be worse slams when it comes to the Ocean’s Trilogy, like Casey Affleck personally admitted that he felt like the least famous person in the cast while filming the original. But no matter what you think of Ocean’s 12, or even Ocean’s 13, if you see Don Cheadle out in public, be nice. Otherwise, you’ve seen what he can do with his Captain Planet powers, and you might find yourself becoming one of the many trees this Earth sorely needs.
