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Plot Summary: Three sixty-something friends take a break from their day-to-day lives to throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single pal.

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Writer: Dan Fogelman

Runtime: 105 min

Main Cast:

• Michael Douglas as Billy
• Robert De Niro as Paddy
• Morgan Freeman as Archie
• Kevin Kline as Sam
• Mary Steenburgen as Diana

Review: by Anthony and Lee

All we knew going into Last Vegas was that it had something to do with Las Vegas and featured four very distinguished actors.  As with any all-star cast, we had severe misgivings about whether the actors were going to give it their all or phone it in, but we had to see it to find out.

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What We Liked:

The writing was solid. With four strong, veteran actors, it must have been difficult to blend them so no one person overpowered a scene, but the writers did a fantastic job of it.  There was visible chemistry between the stars, making it believable that they could have been old friends.  This was particularly evident between Freeman and Kline’s characters.

The comedy was spot on.  There were plenty of the expected “we’re old” jokes, where the guys showed their lack of tech saavy, their numerous prescription medications, and their need for mid-day naps, but there also just genuinely funny bits and jokes.  It was a bit heavy on Kline’s character getting a “hall pass” from his wife, which we found to be of questionable morals, but they brought that one home in the end, restoring a bit of our faith.

The soundtrack was fantastic.  As fans of “oldies,” we found it hard not to sing along.

What We Didn’t Like:

As we mentioned about all-star casts, we usually have an apprehension about phoned-in performances, and Last Vegas certainly had one, though it was not from whom we expected it.  Romany Malco, who we have greatly enjoyed in other movies, had a small role in the film that he still managed to perform poorly.

It was a bit rushed, or maybe underdeveloped is a better word to describe it.  Each character had seriously major problems that they were facing, but each time one came to its climax, it was miraculously resolved with barely any conflict at all.  As a result, the movie lacked the depth it could have attained, probably in order to maintain its carefree, comedic nature.

Also, the Red Foo cameo was just superfluous.  It actually detracted from the movie rather than adding to it.

You can purchase Last Vegas on Blu Ray from Amazon here:

Images Courtesy of IMDB

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