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As some of Hollywood’s most beloved stars continue to age, studios continue to find clever ways to keep them on-screen—whether they’re finding themselves in charming films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or taking down bad guys in thrillers like Red. Now, director Jon Turteltaub sets a quartet of aging buddies loose on Sin City in Last Vegas.
This old-buddy comedy reunites a group of friends decades after they grew up together in Brooklyn. Now pushing 70, Sam (Kevin Kline) has settled into a life of surgeries and prescription drugs in Florida. Archie (Morgan Freeman) is living with his overbearing son while recovering from a stroke. And Paddy (Robert De Niro) is still mourning his beloved wife, who died a year ago. Billy (Michael Douglas), on the other hand, is living it up in California, running a business and dating a beautiful woman who’s less than half his age.
When Billy announces that he’s getting married in Vegas, Sam and Archie are eager to leave their geriatric monotony behind to fly out and throw him the best bachelor party ever. But they’ll have to get Paddy, who still holds a grudge against his old friend, to lighten up and have a good time.
Not long ago, older stars were relegated to depressing dramas or cheaply-made comedies that felt just plain desperate. They took supporting roles as doting grandparents just to pay the bills. Now, however, it seems as though Hollywood has decided to stop putting its stars-of-a-certain-age out to pasture. Instead, they’re given fun roles in movies that are actually worth watching—movies that are sweet and funny at the same time.
Of course, the comedy of Last Vegas tends to revolve around the fact that these guys are old. You can obviously expect to find more than a few gags about hip replacements and various surgical enhancements—and the characters’ cluelessness about everything from Red Bull to 50 Cent. There’s plenty of old-guy bumbling to be found in this film, but it’s all in good-natured fun—and it’s sometimes surprisingly laugh-out-loud funny, too.
This isn’t just a fish-out-of-water comedy about a bunch of old guys who find themselves completely out of their element in Sin City. Sure, there’s some of that, but the movie is more about the characters letting go of their labels—old, sick, widowed—and doing what they really want to do. These precocious grandpas soon prove that you’re never too old to pick up chicks, fall in love, or throw the party of the century. And the cast members take it all in stride—especially Freeman, who turns out to be the life of the party.
As you might expect from a film like this one, there are also some serious moments, as the characters are forced to face their various issues. But while it feels like a bit of a buzz kill, it’s kept to a minimum—and most of the serious moments are seasoned with some much-needed touches of humor to keep the mood relatively light.
It may not be as wild and outrageous as, say, The Hangover, but Last Vegas is still a fun-filled Sin City comedy. It’s definitely good for a few laughs. So round up your dad (and your grandpa, too!), get a few drinks, and enjoy an entertaining outing with some good old boys.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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