Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin – three of Hollywood’s most respected veteran actors. Together they have a total of 3 Oscars, 6 Golden Globes, and 5 SAG Awards. And they star together in the action dramedy “Stand Up Guys”. No, it’s not about stand-up comedians, though they do all get to deliver some funny lines. However this film is much more effective when it’s serious, and overall is a bit of a disappointment.
Pacino plays Val. After serving 28 years behind bars for a murder that he took the blame for, Val is finally out of prison. His best friend Doc (Walken) is there to greet him and the two reunite and reminisce about the old days. But there’s also something important that Doc needs to do. The mob boss whose son was the victim of that murder, has ordered Doc to kill Val by 10am the next morning.
Obviously Doc doesn’t want to kill his friend, but he knows he’ll get rubbed-out too if he doesn’t. And Val’s smart enough to know what’s coming. So the two decide to have one, final all-out evening, which includes drugs, women, a few robberies, some shootings, a high-speed police chase and even a confession. And they decide to get the third member of their old team, Hirsh (Arkin), in on the fun. He’s wasting away in a retirement home until his old pals spring him out. And the trio spends this final night together being, well, stand-up guys.
Clearly this movie has a great cast. These three actors are ultimate pros. They make all of their scenes together interesting, even if the material they’re working with always isn’t. There is a humorous tone to the film. In some ways “Stand Up Guys” is a gangster version of “The Expendables”, with senior-citizen mobsters proving they can still get it done. At times it’s a little corny (such as their motivational saying: “What time is it? It’s time to kick a** or chew gum. And guess what? I’m all out of gum.”) but, as with “The Expendables”, the idea here is to simply sit back and enjoy the ride. However, it’s the dramatic moments in “Stand Up Guys” that work the best, especially the serious scenes between Val and Doc, who realize they’re in a situation that they can’t get out of.
Unfortunately, the script has some major problems. There are several subplots (even though the film’s just under 90 minutes). One involving a young waitress does pay-off. The others do not. And even though Arkin gets star billing he’s not in the film nearly enough. But the biggest letdown for me with “Stand Up Guys” is the ending. We get emotionally invested in Val and Doc, wondering how they’re going to deal with this impossible situation. To say the final scene is unsatisfying would be an understatement.
“Stand Up Guys” is rated R for language, violence, adult content, brief nudity, and drug use. Jon Bon Jovi wrote and performs a few of the film’s songs, including the Golden Globe nominated “Not Running Anymore”. “The Good Wife”‘s Julianna Marguiles leads the supporting cast. She has a few scenes as Hirsh’s daughter.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Stand Up Guys” gets a C+. It’s never dull but could have been so much better.