As those of us who survived the summer of sequels can attest, it's rare to find one that's better than its predecessor. You certainly couldn't say that about At World's End, Shrek the Third, or Rush Hour 3. But there was one sequel from this summer that was leagues better than its sub-par predecessor, Ocean's Thirteen. With the third installment in the Ocean's franchise, Steven Soderbergh and his cast of beautiful people found the spark that made the original so much fun and arguably even improved on it. One of the most enjoyable films of not just the summer season, but the year to date, Ocean's Thirteen fell victim to most of the critical vitriol aimed at every sequel this year and was lumped into a category with far inferior films.

Ocean's 13 is the best sequel of the year to date, a fun ride with tones of Entourage and the Rat Pack, and the perfect movie when you're looking for pure escapism on a Saturday night. It also features some of the most enjoyable work by Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin in years and can be included in discussions about the amazing year Casey Affleck has had. Besides a far superior script this time around, the main reason for Thirteen's success can be boiled down to one simple fact - all of these excellent actors have gotten better in the years since the first film. Clooney, Pitt, Damon, even Mac and Cheadle - they're even better at what they do than when they first brought these characters back to life and watching the fun they're having in the third Ocean's film is infectious. It will be one the more surprisingly satisfying movies on DVD this holiday season. Just like it was this summer in theaters.

Seeing Ocean's 13 this summer was a pleasant surprise. The DVD is the opposite - a significant disappointment. Sure, Ocean's made a lot less than Warner Brothers was hoping but the film was still a hit and will certainly pick up fans on DVD. You'd never know it with the lackluster treatment the film gets on the home market. Even the video and audio, usually something that WB excels in on DVD, is purely average. And the special features are below average. The film only comes with four minutes of deleted scenes, a two minute segment with producer Jerry Weintraub where he shows you the casino set and that's about it, and a 22 minute documentary on the resurgence of Vegas. There aren't even any real behind-the-scenes featurettes and no commentary tracks. It reeks of a double dip coming down the road. We're not gamblers like Danny Ocean, but our instinct is telling us to wait before going all in on this edition of Ocean's Thirteen. Rent it, but wait to buy it until WB comes to their senses and releases a better edition.