Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Ocean's Thirteen

Ocean's Thirteen

Date: Oct 24 2007

Themes: Pop Culture, Romance

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

It’s hard to find a big Hollywood film these days with no love story, and it’s hard to imagine a cast of male actors stronger than Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Al Pacino. But Ocean’s Thirteen, the second follow-up to crime thriller Ocean’s Eleven, has all those dudes and more, and none of them is romancing any female stars.

It sounds like it could be a fresh take on the Hollywood blockbuster, but Mason thinks that the movie, while fun, lacks the balance and charm of the other installments of the series.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Devan

Devan

Mason:  I don’t know if you’re into the big, multi-star blockbuster thing, but I saw Ocean’s Thirteen a couple of weeks ago.

Devan:  Oh, Brad Pitt.

Mason:  Yeah. I just kinda was thinkin’ about it because it’s got a pretty good soundtrack. The soundtrack to all of those are really good. The guy who does it, um…no, I just don’t remember. It’s the guy who Steven Soderbergh works really closely with though. But, have you seen any of them?

Devan:  I saw the first one and I liked it.

Mason:  Yeah, the first one was really good.

Devan:  I didn’t see the other two. How did you like the newest one?

Mason:  They’re all really fun. You can tell it’s the kind of movie, like all these big actors are getting together just because they want to goof around and have a good time. And that comes through. But there’s no female characters in this one.

Devan:  Is Julia Roberts in it?

Mason:  No she’s not. And Catherine Zeta-Jones was in the second one along with Julia Roberts, but there was one female actress in the whole thing and she was a second-tier star. So it just didn’t have anything to balance the testosterone.

Devan:  There’s no love story mixed in with it?

Mason:  No. Not really.

Devan:  But isn’t that kind of cool though, don’t you think?

Mason:  That there’s no love story?

Devan:  Yeah. Doesn’t that make it kind of different that there isn’t that element?

Mason:  I mean, it certainly is different, but it didn’t feel as good for it.

 

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Mason was reminded of Ocean’s Thirteen, which he saw a few weeks ago, because he still listens to the soundtrack. Devan is only familiar with the first movie in the series, Ocean’s Eleven, so Mason tells her a little bit about the new movie.

She’s surprised to learn that Julia Roberts isn’t in the latest installment of the series. She’s a little excited to hear that there’s no love story, but Mason says he misses the female characters.

Can you think of another big movie without a love story? Do you think it’s possible to make a good movie when all the big stars are male?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

icingblue813

China

I agree with you! "Shawshark's Redemption"is also my favorite movie.Why don't I think of it when I write my first comment ?I like the movies with profound thoughts in them.Just as you have said ,they will last for long favorite.

03:12 PM Oct 24 2007 |

tien-sung

Taiwan

i really want to know the chinese name of "ocean's thirteen" who can tell me ?

many times ,the origin name is quite different in chines world ,even if  ,the chinese name of the film in taiwan is different from that in beijing.

 35 years ago ,i have seen a moive which name is "love story" it said a story about love ,true love,puppy love ,though that film did have too many big stars ,i was still touched by the story ,when i saw the actress dying in her boyfriend,i could not stop crying,

so, i love romantic movies,especially those old romantic movies,like holliday in Rome . 

        TIEN-SUNG 

01:54 PM Oct 24 2007 |

undertree

undertree

China

hehe

01:03 PM Oct 24 2007 |

dx

India

I just watched the first one.It is a  colorful movie with all the stars that can be possible in a film..The film is quick-witted  and a time pass.But I heard that  the second sequel has lost the power to make  the audience stick to it, that the first one has.,  

12:35 PM Oct 24 2007 |

binary

binary

China

woo,i like all the movies if tood they make me good feeling

11:29 AM Oct 24 2007 |

Patrick000

South Africa

i think love without romance doesn't have mining in my vocabulalary it is always a combination of the two that make a relation work.

i personaly have a good aproche regarding movies in general so any movies is welcome as long as i learn something new

09:45 AM Oct 24 2007 |

gowaily

gowaily

Egypt

I think tomance movies are very good especially at the troubled time >>

09:12 AM Oct 24 2007 |

smart2022

smart2022

Saudi Arabia

wow.. actully i like Brad Pitt very much … the best film i have seen is Troy

 

09:03 AM Oct 24 2007 |

jojycheung

jojycheung

China

i think it's just normal for a movie to have a love story, as you see, the story of movie just sort of come from the real life, or just kind of tell you something you need to take care of in the real life, and “love", it's really a very important thing in our life, and it always exist in efvery places all around the world

07:56 AM Oct 24 2007 |

Carole

China

Movie about war usually have little female star.But such movie often can tell us what love is. Love combined with war, i think,is always a good movie. But love is not always=romance

07:40 AM Oct 24 2007 |

sherryleio

sherryleio

China

Well, I did not watch the other two, just this newest one. Maybe two many great guys in it, and it does not feel so good to me. I am not saying this because no love story mixed with, I guess the characters are all same important, so none of them look so important. Ha. Anyway, different ppl have different taste. BTW, I like Al Pacino, and his movies. A short guy but yep, have talent, yep…big as train. ;-)

07:39 AM Oct 24 2007 |

sun light

sun light

Sudan

thank you

07:21 AM Oct 24 2007 |

sun light

sun light

Sudan

i feel happy when i see an movie .i like action and romance movie.with love feeling amazing dream.im 18 years old.

07:20 AM Oct 24 2007 |

xintaoliu

xintaoliu

China

i agree with you.

07:16 AM Oct 24 2007 |

Sabu

Sabu

India

yes, I prefer movies mixed up with love story since I am 23 years old unmarried…Wink

 

07:01 AM Oct 24 2007 |

purples

purples

China

One of my favourite movie "Shawshark's redemption" is the one without female role and love story. I have watched this movie at least over 10 times. Watch this movie always make me feel better. The subjects it touched which I like most are hope, friendship, patience, inspiration, redemption.

As an element of movie, romantic sometime is something good for moment of mermory, but not lasting for long favourite. So much good spirit of humanity could be portraied.Love is a feeling not only perceived as a romantic, but also friendship, family love..etc. Love is the eternal topic for the movie.

03:22 AM Oct 24 2007 |

weijunjiao

weijunjiao

China

I think it is very good.There are so much love story in movie,now.They are all too common.But the movie is so interesting.I like it.Cool

02:19 AM Oct 24 2007 |

xygh

xygh

China

it should be admitted that a blockbuster with love story mixed in with it would be more attractive and popular, especially among young people.

02:09 AM Oct 24 2007 |

icingblue813

China

I just can't think of another big movie without love story."Love is always the most  important element in a big movie".But I think it's ok when all the big stars in one movie are male.Though love is the main topic for film making,there are also some other interesting topics.These kind of movies can also be good ones,But I think they can be better if adding some love element properly!

01:31 AM Oct 24 2007 |

rlstudio

rlstudio

China

All the big movies I have ever seen had love stories mixed in with them. I prefer movies with both handsome male character and pretty female character, and a love story mixed in it.

12:36 AM Oct 24 2007 |

Likes (124):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast