Pun Salad

Better than Twelve, not quite as good as Eleven. And I've nearly overdosed on George Clooney.

The thin reed of plot is that Elliot Gould has been screwed over by casino owner Al Pacino. The rest of the (charming, funny, harmless) gang of criminals comes together to help out their friend, and plot the inevitable ruin of this new thug. Amusingly, former nemesis Andy Garcia gets involved as a temporary (albeit untrustworthy) ally. Previous episodes' eye-candy, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, sit this one out; their place is taken by Ellen Barkin, playing a tough-as-nails assistant to Pacino.

I've given up keeping track of character names here; it's OK, because their acting effort of the all-star cast is minimal. The heist itself is also by-the-numbers.

But it's fun, twisty, and very commercial.