"Last Vegas" is the equivalent of "The Hangover" for the Geritol generation with little of its rude, outlandish humor and none of its risqué sexual escapades. Indeed, a group of transvestites show up for a scene or two, but nobody has sex with them. A quartet of geezers who grew up together in Brooklyn shoot the works for a weekend in Sin City when one proposes to a lady half his age. Michael Douglas is the eternal bachelor who proposes to a 31-year old babe while he is delivering a eulogy for a friend. Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline are his long-time friends who decide to celebrate the occasion with a final fling in Vegas. The powerhouse casting of these former superstars of the 1970s and the 1980s distinguishes director Jon Turteltaub's otherwise arthritic opus. For the record, Douglas plays a 69-year old Malibu attorney. De Niro is a year older at 70, while Freeman is the oldest at 79 and Kline the youngest at 66. You'll do a lot of grinning but little guffawing as the stars struggle to shine in this amusing but predictable comedy that appeals predominantly to the AARP crowd. When Morgan Freeman isn't hamming it up, Mary Steenburgen steals the show because she is the most interesting character in "Crazy, Stupid, Love" scenarist Dan Fogelman's creaky script. Characterization is strong as all four are different. You sense the inevitable from the outset that Billy (Michael Douglas of "Basic Instinct") is never going to make it to the altar with his child bride. While best buds Archie (Morgan Freeman of "The Bucket List") and Sam (Kevin Kline of "Silverado") just want to have fun, Paddy (Robert De Niro of "Raging Bull") still has an ax to grind with his Billy because he was a no-show up for Paddy's wife's funeral. Of course, Billy and Paddy resolve their differences before fade-out. Archie has just recovered from a stroke and has to contend with his anxious, overprotective son Ezra (Michael Ealy) who insists on crowding his father. On the other hand, happily married Sam hasn't totally adjusted to a life of leisure at Florida-based adult community. When he tells his wife Miriam (Joanna Gleason) about Billy's impending bachelor party, she hands him an envelope with a Viagra pill and a hall pass for a one night stand. You know that Sam won't be able to cheat of his spouse simply because she has given him leeway. Indeed, Sam comes mighty close to coitus with a babe. He begs off at the last minute because he knows it how much fun it would be and anything that exuberant he would have to tell his wife about. The babe who tries to take him to bed tearfully withdraws and hopes she can land a man like Sam. "Last Vegas" has its moments, strong performances from a powerhouse cast, but none of it will make you feel younger or more alive like either "Going in Style" or "Cocoon."
Review of Last Vegas
