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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 won't pretend to avidly follow new movie releases, but I am shocked that this movie, which is a superbly written and executed (pun intended) story about lifelong friendship, did not generate more attention. Is it because Pacino, Arkin and Walken are perceived to be past their red carpet primes themselves? I hope not! Doing for others because they are friends, with full knowledge of their flaws, is something we might want to consider more frequently. And what could be better than to do so with wit and great fun at the local house of ill repute? All things modernized since one character entered his long journey (close to three decades in prison) are underscored without being condescending. And ultimately, justice and mercy triumph.

I can't wait to watch this again.

The film has a nice genuine feel about it, great story, great acting and a great soundtrack that compliments the film and characters! I found myself getting sucked in to the characters and as much as I enjoy seeing Walken act and hearing his dialogue, Pacino was great in this film too. He's not an angry mobster but a likable criminal one of his best films I think. Walken doesn't give us the old stories that we are used to but his presence is just perfection.

Do not expect this film to be full of gangster violence and action, this is the other end of the career. Experience and heart goes a long way.

I have to say that if this film was made with a different cast I think it would have been slow and easy to miss, walken and pacino make the film as genuine as they come.

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

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.