In defense of the Ocean's trilogy: These heist films still hold up

George Clooney in Ocean's Eleven

I am a sucker for heist movies. I've always joked that if I weren't so terribly afraid of going to prison I would love to be a professional thief.

The Ocean's trilogy (2001-2007) tapped into the frizzy thrill of watching super-slick, smart hipsters pull a fast one over formidable foes, all while barely breaking a sweat.

These glossy confections showed off Steven Soderbergh's distinct and dynamic visual style (he shot all the movies himself, using the pseudonym Peter Andrews) and was the perfect showcase for George Clooney's charismatic movie star persona.

And yet as popular as the films were when they were first released, they are viewed as something of a guilty pleasure now, which I think is off-base. This may be somewhat due to the mixed reception to Ocean's Twelve -- the weakest of the trilogy but in my opinion wildly underrated. And the fact that its stars Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon (among others) -- have gone on to make far more prestigious, "important" films since.

But I've always enjoyed razzle-dazzle Hollywood larks, and during the Bush era there was no series of films that pulled off mainstream entertainment better than these impeccably crafted capers. They were witty and fast paced -- and yes, a little smug. But I liked watching these actors play together and bounce off each other's rhythms.

Clonney and Pitt in particular had fantastic chemistry (and seem to somehow get better looking with each film). I love the running gag where they speak to each other in unfinished sentences and/or in con man code that is known and understood only by them.

Clooney and Pitt in Ocean's Thirteen

The films were also a great vehicle for Matt Damon, who got to play the dweeb in the group. There are early shades of his self-involved character from The Departed in this series. I enjoy the Bourne movies for what they are, but I've always liked Damon more when he plays unlikable guys.

Soderbergh also cheekily revived the careers of legends like Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner, giving them showy parts in an unlikely ensemble which included the late Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle and Scott Caan.

He even gets winning work from Julia Roberts, who I don't hate, but who can often be over-the-top and shallow in a lot of her movies. Still, the women were never the focus of these movies which were as much about male bonding as they were about elaborate robberies.

The original was the most popular and is probably the strongest entry in the trilogy. I still remember when I saw it my sophomore year in college. It was such a frothy delight, both a throwback and modern at the same time. Ocean's Twelve took the characters and audiences out of their comfort zone and its finale -- while clever -- is not remotely as satisfying as the original's. But the soundtrack is to die for.

Ocean's Twelve

Ocean's Thirteen is often the most forgotten of the three films, even though it too was a hit. And I've felt for a long time that it is almost as good as the first film. With all do respect to Andy Garcia, the movie really ups the villain ante with a great turn from Al Pacino. And I like how the third film sort of brilliantly weaves all the things we liked from the first two into one last Vegas score.

The ending of the trilogy is actually kind of bittersweet since over three films we've really enjoyed watching these quirky comrades evade lasers, plunges down elevator shafts and more -- while sticking together as the best of friends, albeit ones who never quite stop kidding each other.

Clooney and Soderbergh have made no qualms about the fact that they made these purely commercial films in order to finance prestige projects like Solaris and Syriana -- and I say, more power to them.

I've enjoyed their dramas a lot, but on a night like tonight -- when I'm battling a sore throat and it's a muggy, rainy mess outside -- it's so much fun to curl up and watch the hijinks of Danny Ocean and the gang.