Brad Pitt has been one of Hollywood’s most successful actors over the last two-plus decades, starring in classics across a wide range of genres.
Yet one of his greatest roles came in 2001, when he portrayed Robert “Rusty” Ryan in the crime classic Ocean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Alongside Pitt, the film featured George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck and several others, forming one of the strongest casts in Hollywood history.
The Rotten Tomatoes movie description reads, “Dapper Danny Ocean (Clooney) is a man of action. Less than 24 hours into his parole from a New Jersey penitentiary, the wry, charismatic thief is already rolling out his next plan. Following three rules: Don’t hurt anybody, don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it, and play the game like you’ve got nothing to lose. Danny orchestrates the most sophisticated, elaborate casino heist in history.”
Ocean’s Eleven Ranks Among Greatest Crime Films Ever Made
Ocean’s Eleven ranks among some of the greatest crime and heist movies ever released, thanks to the impact it has had on the movie world since it first hit theaters.
It holds an impressive 83% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 7.7 out of 10 rating on IMDb. The film also ranks on Collider’s list of the 25 Greatest Crime Movies of All Time, as well as Business Insider’s list of the Best Heist Movies of All Time.
The franchise went on to produce two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen.However neither film lived up to the original
Pitt Believes Ocean’s Eleven Franchise Lost Its Way
The other two films certainly weren’t as popular or well-liked as the first. During a 2025 appearance on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, Pitt said the franchise lost its way.
“I feel like we lost our way after the first one, or at least my guy, because he was kind of the DuVall consigliere guy to George’s Danny,” Pitt said, referencingThe Godfather. “I liked that much more.”
Ocean’s Twelve holds a 56% Rotten Tomatoes score and came out three years after the original. Ocean’s Thirteen holds a 70% score and arrived in 2007.
While many fans love the franchise as a whole, Ocean’s Eleven was without question the best of the three from a critical and audience standpoint. It’s also certainly one of Pitt’s best films.
This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Nov 7, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
