Stand Up Guys

Not having gotten around to watching "Stand Up Guys" before now was a mistake on my behalf, especially given the three acting heavyweighters that stars in the movie; Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin.

"Stand Up Guys" is a good comedy that has a nice story to tell. Although this is not the type of comedy that will have you spilling your drinks in your laps from laughing, it is the type of light-hearted comedy that will make you feel good.

The story is about Val (played by Al Pacino) who comes out from prison after 28 years of incarceration. Meeting him at the entrance is his old friend Doc (played by Christopher Walken). Doc has been hired to kill Val and has a time limit until the next morning; and during this time the old friends start up old habits and revisit old friends.

The characters in the movie were nicely fleshed out and nicely detailed. There is a really good chemistry between Pacino and Walken, and this really reflects well on both characters that they play, because there is a very good sense of friendship and intimacy's with one another as they are on the screen.

The movie offers drama, action, comedy and even a high speed chase.

"Stand Up Guys" is a fun and great movie, which offers 95 minutes of great entertainment. If not for the good story, then the movie is well worth watching for the three stars of the movie.

Three legends. Three Oscar winners directed by another Oscar winner (Fisher Stevens won as producer for a documentary). United in one movie. That should be enough and one should expect maybe just a decent script and then fine. "Stand Up Guys" promises too much while securing Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin in the front row but delivers less than expected with its usual crime/comedy elements focusing on aging criminals and very few to say. The cast chemistry is good (but Pacino already had movies with the other guys, sharing scene with Arkin in "Glengarry Glen Ross" and with Walken in "Gigli" although they don't share scenes in that thing) and it's probably the only reason why everybody wants to see this movie

But it's terribly generic. Pacino done his sentence and is released from prison. Walken is waiting for him for two reasons: 1) to see his old friend again and 2) to kill him, contracted by another criminal boss (Mark Margolis) who wants to revenge his son's death. Soon they rejoin Arkin and the gang is back on action. Besides the fact that they all have fun together after a long time without seeing each other, what's most important here is their reflections on life and time and enjoy the little moments. It's all very simplistic told - a little let down since we're delighted with great and powerful stars - but it achieves some effect.

The drama takes a long while to be really gripping, and the comedy only gets truly good when Arkin finally appears (despithe top billing with the other guys, he's there for very briefly, showing up after long thirty minutes). He made this something almost remarkable, efficiently funny. I think the actors presence and relative brilliance compensate the script's lack of real premise, lack of more movement and characters and even lack of challenge for everyone involved. Enjoy their company and that's it. That must be enough, sometimes. 6/10

I read some of the reviews here, and I think that some who have reviewed this extremely negatively (as in 1/10) are those who appreciate a movie with lots of explosions, and maybe some guys with their tops off, flexing their muscles to accentuate just how tough they are.

Luckily, there isn't much of that in Stand Up Guys. It's character-driven, centered on the relationship between Val (PAcino) and Doc (Walken), both of whom are spectacular.

There's some great dialogue between the two, and despite what you may read on here, the story is quite solid, if simplistic. I don't think people have fully grasped these characters in some reviews, or the meaning of the title "Stand Up Guys". They're throwbacks, and the situations they encounter represent the direction the world has headed over the years, a world that Doc is forced to be a part of, despite wanting a quieter life.

I won't go on any further, but I found the characters endearing, and the relationship between Val and Doc kept me on the hook.

Nice soundtrack, too.

Cheers

I think you need to be around 70 years of age to really enjoy this Movie. I am and I did; I really did. I chuckled and laughed throughout the movie and continued to do so long into the evening as I remembered some of the more memorable scenes. This is a gem of a Movie and brings back a touch of the real movies of yesteryear. No Vampires ; no Zombies; no computer designed sets and monsters, no excruciatingly LOUD music and noises; just a simple story well told with real ACTORS. I could have sat through it again as soon as it was over....and I may go again. Some of these "Critics" need to age a bit to really understand the difference that a Movie like this can bring to its audience

Stand Up Guys is a true reminder of what film should be like: an entertaining experience that keeps you on your seat until the very end, and does a bit of everything else; it makes you laugh, touches you, and makes you wonder, and tops it off with theatrics that you accept delightfully. The script of the movie represents the simplest form of complexity. A director's masterpiece, for those who can appreciate the plot in the details. Acting is beyond praise, as everyone is on board, fully engaged in their roles. Everything makes sense, even the almost supernatural energy of the three aging musketeers. It's been such a long time since I've seen a film and at the end of thought that I wanted some more of it. Walken plays a great role at gluing everything together. Fisher Stevens has got the hang of good film making.