Thursday, November 7, 2013

Last Vegas

After The Hangover there was Bridesmaids, which was described as The Hangover for women. Then there was Project X, The Hangover for teenagers. Well if that’s the case, then Last Vegas is The Hangover for the elderly. Is there an audience for such a thing? Not really, but luckily the movie is more than old people making idiots of themselves. There is a healthy amount of that though. In the film, Michael Douglas’ character is getting married, so a group of lifelong friends get together for a bachelor party in Las Vegas. Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline play those friends.

The films brand of humor is pretty predictable with old jokes ranging from medications they are taking to common injuries that come with age. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t funny. That can be credited to the caliber of the cast. Kline is most comfortable in the comedic setting, but Freeman isn’t far behind with his drunken ramblings that work very well. De Niro is mostly an annoyed grump, which is consistent with the majority of the roles he has played in the past 15 years. Douglas is the central figure of the film, playing a character that is likeable but too cool to carry the laugh heavy script.

The film’s dramatic center is passable, but the audience catches on to the story’s emotional reveal much sooner than the movie intends them too. Since there are four legendary actors who continue to work consistently, the theme of the elderly still having worth is quite obvious. Morgan Freeman was in four movies this year, it’s hard to picture him as a guy who sits home and does nothing all day. With that being said, Last Vegas is a fun effort that’s worth watching to see the four Oscar winners interact on screen.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

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