Could a Fluent Home Smart Security System have Foiled the Thieves in “Ocean’s Eleven”?
Everybody loves a good heist movie, and “Ocean’s Eleven” — the 2001 reimagining of the 1960 classic by the same name — is a fan favorite. The “Ocean’s Eleven” characters are memorable, and the film is a perfect case study for how to plan a heist. It has also inspired several sequels, the most recent of which (“Ocean’s 8”) pulled in over $130 million at the U.S. box office this summer.
In “Ocean’s Eleven,” Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney) masterminds a complex plan to rob the heavily fortified vault of casino magnate Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). At minimum, the vault must hold enough cash to cover the bets being placed any given day for three casinos: the Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. Danny has calculated that an upcoming boxing championship will guarantee the vault holds at least $150 million on the day of the fight. It’s a perfect opportunity.
But executing the sting is a bigger job than any one man could pull off. Danny turns to friend Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) for advice and financial backing, and Reuben tells him, “You’re going to need a crew as nuts as you are.”
This sets up the “Ocean’s Eleven” cast to include many more big names, including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Carl Reiner and more, as nine additional men are brought on to the team. Each has his own area of expertise, such as acting, pickpocketing, driving, munitions, electronics or acrobatics.
Even with the crew’s arsenal of skills and equipment, the Bellagio vault will be difficult to crack. It lies under the Last Vegas strip with 200 feet of solid earth above it. Once someone gets through the casino cage, they must pass through secure doors that have a 6-digit security code that changes every 12 hours. The elevator won’t move without fingerprint and voice confirmation, the elevator shaft is guarded by motion detectors, and two guards equipped with Uzis stand guard outside “the most elaborate vault door ever conceived by man.” In addition, the whole way is monitored by video surveillance.
It seems too crazy to even attempt, but then again, it’s a movie, and you know things will somehow work out. The plan is put into action, and while there are just enough hiccups along the way to keep the audience in suspense, all of the elements come together and see Danny and his crew successfully relieve Benedict of more than $160 million — and also of his girlfriend, Tess (Julia Roberts), who is Danny’s ex-wife and his real motivation behind pulling the scam.
Watching a heist film brings us a thrill because it gives us a chance to watch someone accomplish the seemingly impossible. We cheer for the scrappy underdog as they pull the wool over the mean businessman’s eyes. But heist films also can give us a chance to pause and assess the security measures we have in place to protect our own home, valuables and family.
The state-of-the-art vault seemed unbreachable, but it wasn’t. Even the top-notch technology of 2001 wasn’t enough to prevent Benedict from having his cash carried out the door, right under his nose. The criminal masterminds had thought of everything.
But maybe, just maybe, the technology of today’s Fluent smart security systems could have revealed to Benedict the crime in progress, or gotten the proper authorities — a real SWAT team, not Danny’s counterfeits — to the vault in time to halt the robbery. Here’s a look at three features of a Fluent Home Security System that could have made a difference in the outcome of “Ocean’s Eleven”:
1. Wireless camera and sensor systems
Though it was difficult, it was also all too easy for Danny’s electronics expert to place a manual hack on the casino’s video surveillance line. Also, more sensors spread out in different locations would have been impossible to bypass in the single 30-second window the electromagnetic pinch bought Danny and Linus (Damon) in the elevator shaft.
2. Instantaneous alerts when anything out of the ordinary happens
Benedict did all he could to be kept informed of everything happening in his casino, but even with someone always watching, it too often wasn’t him. With the Fluent app, he would have been receiving updates at every turn.
3. Authorities are automatically notified when an emergency occurs
If the 9-1-1 call Benedict’s employee made had gone to a real emergency response team, the “Ocean’s Eleven” gang never would have managed to steal the cash because a real SWAT team would have been onsite within minutes to nab the impostors. Nobody should have to make a manual call to the police when there’s been a break-in — and with a Fluent security system, nobody would have.
Though we’ll never know for sure what difference a Fluent smart security system may have made in the outcome of “Ocean’s Eleven,” we do know it can make a difference in protecting you, your property and the people you love.[:]