Review of Stand Up Guys (2012) by Jason C — 10 Apr 2014

Stand Up Guys benefitted from a strong, and I mean STRONG, cast. I'm not sure that without these guys helping this film along, that it would have been more than a mediocre little indie film. The ending is sort of brief, but it's a fitting end to this movie.

There were a number of funny parts, and a few laugh-out-loud moments in Stand Up Guys. Walken and Pacino had great chemistry. As hard as it seemed for the movie to move along with a solid story, there was character development. I'd give Walken and Pacino the credit because in the end I'd come to like these guys, especially Doc (Walken). There was a moment between him and a young woman that was touching.

Walken showed some depth, and stood out, in this run of the mill movie. He created a character I enjoyed right off the bat. Alan Arkin and Al Pacino don't do anything spectacular, but do add some character to the film. Pacino has some standard character he goes to in his older age, but it's a character I enjoy. Lucy Punch added a bit as well, having a small but recurring character in Stand Up Guys.

The movie itself was poorly put together. It felt almost like a bunch of clips put together more-so than building a story. Fisher Stevens is transitioning from an actor to a director and benefitted greatly from this cast in his first major release.

Stand Up Guys is good, and if you enjoy it, there is an older movie called The Crew (2000), starring Richard Dreyfuss and Burt Reynolds. It's OK, and about on par with Stand Up Guys. I wouldn't direct you to a theater to see Stand Up Guys, but it's worth a rental.