Last Vegas (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 105 minutes
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Joanna Gleason, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson
KRS release
Billy (Michael Douglas) is a bachelor of long-time standing – actually 70 years – but he is now getting married to Lisa (Bre Blair), who is only 32.
He wants to round up his friends and fly to Las Vegas for his bachelor party. For Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline), this party is an excuse to inject some life into their mundane existence.
Archie has recently suffered a stroke and is living with his son who fusses over him. Sam and his wife Miriam (Joanna Gleason) have lately moved to an adult community but he has still not integrated well. Miriam tells him that when he goes to Las Vegas he can have a one-night stand but not to tell her about it.
The last member of the group is Paddy (Robert De Niro), whose wife died 40 years earlier but who has still not come to terms with it. Things between Paddy and Billy had soured when Billy did not attend his wife’s funeral and only sent a bunch of flowers. But by hook or by crook, Paddy ends up in Las Vegas and the four friends are soon stirring trouble.
They start to pass themselves as Mafia bosses and Las Vegas sees some crazy times. Meanwhile, we learn that Paddy’s late wife had actually wanted to be with Billy but he had rejected her as he believed that married life was not for him. Now the two men end up again in a conundrum as their attentions fall on Diana (Mary Steenburgen), a lounge singer.
This film may seem to be inspired by The Hangover franchise but Last Vegas is a different breed of animal. It’s a hilarious picture that revels in seeing its acting icons slumming it out on screen. It also never takes things to extremes in the way the Hangover movies do.
As expected, Last Vegas has a lot of age-related jokes which is only natural considering the cast.
It also tackles various issues such as the resentment and turbulent relationship between Paddy and Billy, and Sam trying to deal with the fact that he has a pass card for an extramarital fling but does not know how to carry this off. The generation gap also comes into play when the four actors are involved in scenes such as the one involving a crowd of bikini-clad girls.
This film was made to be filled with clichés but, happily enough, it manages to sidestep them and delivers a glossy but honest picture of four men on their last Vegas fling.
It is not just the four protagonists who are on a roll here as Steenburgen also delivers some shimmer. The chemistry between her and Douglas and De Niro is palpable and very evident.
Benefitting from good pacing, Last Vegas ends up showing the young ones from The Hangover franchise a thing or two about how to party. Yet it’s also an ode to getting old and not being afraid of it.