Last Vegas

Film & TV

Thursday February 06, 2014 Comments

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What do you get when you assemble a cast of Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman? An hilarious comedy revolving around four men in their 70s as they gamble their health and their pensions on a buck’s party in Las Vegas.

Billy, Sam, Paddy and Archie attempt to put aside old animosities, concerned family and high blood pressure to enjoy one wild reunion, as age-old bachelor Archie prepares to marry – predictably – a 30-something-year-old woman. As well as prompting plenty of infant jokes, this celebration also proves these legends know how to throw a party, entertaining themselves and everyone around them.

Yet despite the young women, vodka Red Bull shots and drugs (mostly the cholesterol-lowering Lipitor), this is a film about true love and good friends. The group find themselves initiated into modern life – complete with remote curtains, transgendered entertainment and Cirque du Soleil performers roaming the escalators.

There are countless laugh-out-loud moments, but there are also touching scenes to bring on the prickle of tears. The plot is helped along by a welcome fifth wheel in the form of Diana (Mary Steenburgen), a Vegas singer whose aged beauty draws in all the men. You can also expect great cameos from Redfoo and 50 Cent, although the four main characters are blissfully unaware of both famous faces.

Writer Dan Fogelman and director Jon Turteltaub find the perfect balance between one-liners and plot, comedy gold and heart-warming friendships. It is a movie to suit all ages, with in-jokes and cultural references across the generations.

More InDaily film reviews:

Grudge Match
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Inside Llewyn Davis
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
The Book Thief
Saving Mr Banks
August: Orange County
Philomena

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<h1>Last Vegas</h1>

<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/sarah-gates/" class="author">Sarah Gates</a></address>
											
							<p>What do you get when you assemble a cast of Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman? An hilarious comedy revolving around four men in their 70s as they gamble their health and their pensions on a buck’s party in Las Vegas. <b></b></p>
<p>Billy, Sam, Paddy and Archie attempt to put aside old animosities, concerned family and high blood pressure to enjoy one wild reunion, as age-old bachelor Archie prepares to marry –  predictably – a 30-something-year-old woman. As well as prompting plenty of infant jokes, this celebration also proves these legends know how to throw a party, entertaining themselves and everyone around them.</p>
<p>Yet despite the young women, vodka Red Bull shots and drugs (mostly the cholesterol-lowering Lipitor), this is a film about true love and good friends. The group find themselves initiated into modern life – complete with remote curtains, transgendered entertainment and Cirque du Soleil performers roaming the escalators.</p>
<p>There are countless laugh-out-loud moments, but there are also touching scenes to bring on the prickle of tears. The plot is helped along by a welcome fifth wheel in the form of Diana (Mary Steenburgen), a Vegas singer whose aged beauty draws in all the men. You can also expect great cameos from Redfoo and 50 Cent, although the four main characters are blissfully unaware  of both famous faces.</p>
<p>Writer Dan Fogelman and director Jon Turteltaub find the perfect balance between one-liners and plot, comedy gold and heart-warming friendships. It is a movie to suit all ages, with in-jokes and cultural references across the generations.</p>
<h5><a href="#more-indaily-film-reviews" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="more-indaily-film-reviews"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>More InDaily film reviews:</h5>
<p><a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/30/grudge-match/">Grudge Match</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/30/12-years-slave/">12 Years a Slave</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/23/wolf-wall-street/">The Wolf of Wall Street</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/23/inside-llewyn-davis/">Inside Llewyn Davis</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/16/jack-ryan-shadow-recruit/">Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/09/book-thief/">The Book Thief</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/09/saving-mr-banks/">Saving Mr Banks</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2014/01/03/august-osage-county/">August: Orange County</a><br />
<a href="http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2013/12/24/philomena/">Philomena</a></p>
<p> </p>
							<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://inreview.com.au" target=_blank  rel="canonical">InReview</a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/film/2014/02/06/last-vegas/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
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