Ocean's 13 (PG), Odeon, Merry Hill, Dudley, Four stars (From Stourbridge News)

Ocean's 13 (PG), Odeon, Merry Hill, Dudley, Four stars

Sequels are always a hit and miss affair but Steven Soderbergh has struck third time lucky with Ocean's 13.

As slick as George Clooney's immaculate hair, this movie follows in the stylish footsteps of its predecessor Ocean's 11. Thankfully the smugness of the much-panned Ocean's 12 has been abandoned.

While exploiting the successful formula of A-list stars, stunning cinematography and a cool soundtrack, Soderbergh has ditched Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta Jones to concentrate on the guys. And the strategy has certainly paid off.

Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his 12-strong crew of gentleman thieves are back on form as they plot revenge on Las Vegas casino-hotel boss Willy Bank (Al Pacino).

Bank left their pal Reuben (Elliot Gould) penniless and near death's door after a ruthless investment double-cross.

So the gang regroup and plot to destroy his new multi-billion dollar hotel by bankrupting him and sabotaging his hard-fought-for reputation.

Stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon have an amazing on-screen rapport - which continues off-screen if the tabloid partying stories are to be believed.

These guys look like they are having a whale of a time and, unlike watching the second of the trilogy, so are we.

Soderbergh has managed to recreate the magic and class of the first movie which exploited the stars' chemistry but, this time, not at the expense of the plot.

Clooney is his usual laidback, suave, self here - commanding every scene. And he has some great banter with the surprisingly funny Pitt, as Rusty, who still has a serious junk food addiction.

Matt Damon has a meatier role in this installment and provides some hilarious moments while sporting a disguise big nose.

Each of the characters gets their moment in the spotlight and Casey Affleck asVirgil Malloy gets his wearing a poncho moustache while rioting at a Mexican dice factory - genius!

Brit comic Eddie Izzard makes an amusing cameo as electronics expert Roman Nagel and Andy Garcia makes a welcome return as Danny's rival Terry Benedict - who becomes an unlikely ally in their plot to destroy Bank.

You never quite know if or how the guys are going to pull off their plan until the end of the movie - so I won't spoil it for you.

But, suffice to say, set against the ever glitzy Vegas backdrop, Ocean's 13 still manage to shine.