Last Vegas (DVD REVIEW)
Last Vegas
DVD
Review by Kam Williams
Quintet
of Oscar-Winners Co-Star in Bawdy Buddy Comedy
Billy (Michael
Douglas), Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin
Kline), inseparable since growing up in Flatbush back in the Fifties, have
managed to remain close over the years despite the demands of families and
careers. That’s why, when never-married Billy finally decides to tie the knot,
the others agree to throw him a bawdy bachelor party in Las Vegas, hoping to
rekindle a little of the macho magic of their glory days.
But even
before arriving in Sin
City, the
long-in-the-tooth senior citizens are forced to face up to the fact that they’re
no spring chickens. After all, Archie is still recovering from a mild stroke,
and has to tell his son (Michael Ealy) he’s attending a church retreat to sneak
out of the house.
Meanwhile,
Sam, who suffers from a futile case of erectile dysfunction, packs Viagra and
condoms for the trip with his frustrated wife’s (Joanna Gleason) blessing. And
recently-widowed Paddy has entirely lost his zest for life since the passing of
his childhood sweetheart (Olivia Stuck).
Even
groom-to-be Billy seems to be having second thoughts about walking down the
aisle with a woman half his age (Bre Blair), especially after his head is
turned at first sight by the hotel’s sultry, lounge singer (Mary Steenburgen).
Consequently, the reassembled Rat Pack’s highly-anticipated reunion turns out
to be less a licentious last hurrah than a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane. For
the guys end up spending more of their time reminiscing and teasing each other
than in pursuit of potential sexual conquests.
Directed by
Dan Turtletaub (National Treasure 1, 2 and 3), Last Vegas is a laff-a-minute
comedy, with most of the humor coming at the expense of members of this
self-effacing quartet as they grudgingly make concessions to old age. They
remain good sports, whether being the butt of jokes about hair transplants,
hair color, medications, looking old or mistakenly flirting with transvestites.
Not
surprisingly, the principal cast, featuring Academy Award-winners Michael
Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, has no trouble
generating a convincing sense of camaraderie onscreen. What is more remarkable
is how another Oscar-winner, Mary Steenburgen, makes the most of her support
role, upstaging her male co-stars by exhibiting an endearing vulnerability in a
most memorable performance.
The
Hangover, geezer style!
Excellent
(3.5 stars)
PG-13 for profanity and sexuality
Running time: 105
minutes
Distributor: Sony
Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Filmmaker
commentary; Four Legends; The Flatbush Four; and It’s Going to Be
Legendary.
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