Last Vegas

Three old boys – each in their sixties – decide to throw a party for their friend. He is getting married, and they want to celebrate. So, do the cucumber sandwiches and teapots come out for a grand garden party?..

Like fuck they do.

These boys don’t do things by halves.

So they’re heading to Las Vegas…

 

 

I will begin by saying Last Vegas was joyous. Hilarious. And a bloody treat. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this bunch of Hollywood A-listers; would it be classically shit? Or would the director bring them out of their usual typecasts?

And with the end result, I was pleasantly surprised..

 

 

 

Cast

 

Michael Douglas – Billy

Robert De Niro – Paddy

Morgan Freeman – Archie

Kevin Kline – Sam

Mary Steenburgen – Diana

Jerry Ferrara – Todd

Romany Malco – Lonnie

Weronika Rosati – Veronica

 

 

 

LOL

The first thing I should mention, and the element which ensures the movie flows nicely is that there are tons of ‘LOL’ moments. The script is fantastic. A hearty amount of one-liner’s, misunderstandings and wisecracks ribbon this movie – ultimately resulting in a hilarious success. 

OK, so Last Vegas is a bit predictable (guy gets the girl, two enemies become friends, etc.) but that aside, it is very enjoyable. The audience were bloody loving it, and so was I. If you like a nice serving of comedy, get ready to indulge because the jokes come thick and fast.

 

 

 

Let’s Get Physical

Where is the physical stuff?

Although Last Vegas is hilarious, it is mainly down to the script. What the characters say or express throughout the movie are what made the audience laugh – nothing came from the physical aspect. Its almost as if the director considered Douglas, De Niro, Freeman and Kline as Hollywood royalty – and agreed with them that they would just deliver the hilarious script by speaking; without any physical stuff.

The only real physical comedy came from Douglas and De Niro, when they end up in a swimming pool instead of walking past it.

I was sat there craving some slapstick – you know – Morgan Freeman falling down a flight of stairs. Or, if that is too physical for an old dude, perhaps just fainting (where the person falls sideways hilariously) or tripping up.. no such luck. Major lack of physical comedy in this, but thank God for the script – it overruled this element.

 

 

 

Young Meets Old

Last Vegas is the kind of movie a mother would want to watch with her daughter – or grandfather with his grandson. Purely because of the age mix contained in it. I mean, we have the likes of Morgan Freeman and Michael Douglas coming face to face with Tip “T.I.” Harris, and rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) – a total clash of the ages.

But again, if a person young and old are sat in front of this, they both have something to relate to when watching. The whole fantastically vibrant atmosphere Vegas has to offer in real life, is right here in this movie too. Another pleasure – watching old crooners make their way round the poolside whilst plenty of under-30’s party beside them.

Oh, and just wait for the Party Rockin’ scene in the swimming pool.. its a hilarious explosion of funny which creates a memorable atmosphere for all involved.

 

 

 

A Few Words

This movie was wringing wet with bloody funny script. But a few lines stood out for me – mainly by making me shift in my seat as I roared with laughter:

Archie: “I feel like I’m drunk and electrocuted at the same time” (in reaction to drinking a Vodka-Redbull)

Sam: “..I suppose a blow job is out of the question?”  (after a young girl walks away instead of having sex with him)

 

Supporting Artists

From the drag queens and circus performers, to the casino workers extras in the bars, the supporting cast were rather splendid.

The only downside was bloody Romany Malco as Lonnie; in my opinion he actually ruined the ending of the movie with what he was dragged in to do. I’m sure it was supposed to be a ‘farewell speech’, but it was just awful – what he said wasn’t funny at all. Other than this, everyone looked as though they were genuinely having a brilliant time.

 

 

 

Overall, Last Vegas is hugely enjoyable and bursting with humour. Colourful, mad and flamboyant, its a sort of coming-of-old-age story, perfect for younger and older viewers alike. There is no complex plot for me to go into, nothing to analyse – this movie is pretty simple in its sense of humour and storyline and flows nicely for the length of screen time it has.

And for once, De Niro is quite different to his normal roles..

Enjoy!

 

 

 

7/10