Review of Stand Up Guys (2012) by Joe C — 21 Jan 2013

While I don't think Stand Up Guys is truly a terrible film, it is a missed opportunity. A chance to redeem the career of Pacino while further fueling Walken's and Arkin's. However, due to Seven Psycopaths and Argo, Pacino is the one who sorely needs it.

The film feels like it wanted to be one thing, but tries to be more than one. It tries to be a drama, it tries to be a comedy, and it tries to be an action film. It doesn't do any of these particularly well.

While it does have some funny moments and there is one particularly good emotional scene and one very awesome action scene, it generally falls flat throughout. At least the film has a decent runtime and doesn't cram in anything it doesn't feel like it needs to.

Directed by Fisher Stevens, the direction is adequate, nothing spectacular. As for the performances, they all do decent, but none of them really click. You can feel the comradery between Walken and Pacino, but I think that's only because such huge actors are playing the parts, and they're basically playing themselves and all their wildness up.

Arkin is decent but average at best, but I think he shouldn't care since his Argo nomination muddles this film. Stand Up Guys rushes to a conclusion, and this is where the film drops the ball. I'm all for a dark ending, and one that seems to counter the entire flm, but to just confuse me by ending in such an anti-climactic and confusing way really bites.

Had it had stronger writing, a more concise tone, and stronger performances, this film could have been great. But as it stands now, Stand Up Guys is just mediocre enough to warrant a late night viewing out of curiosity, nothing more.