Last Vegas

Directed by Jon Turteltaub, Last Vegas follows four friends (Michael Douglas’ Billy, Robert De Niro’s Paddy, Morgan Freeman’s Archie, and Kevin Kline’s Sam) as they arrive in Las Vegas for a bachelor party – with the movie, for the most part, detailing the wacky shenanigans that inevitably ensue. There’s little doubt that the almost excessively conventional premise is, at the outset, utilized to better-than-expected effect, with the strength of the various performances, coupled with the actors’ palpable chemistry together, going a long way towards cultivating a surprisingly watchable atmosphere. It’s just as clear, however, that Last Vegas begins to run out of steam shortly after the central foursome arrive in Vegas, as scripter Dan Fogelman has peppered the midsection with a series of sitcom-like scenarios that effectively suck the energy right out of the proceedings. (Ranking high among the lowlights are a bikini-judging sequence and a trip to a popular nightclub.) The surfeit of silly interludes slowly-but-surely renders the film’s few positive attributes moot, and it goes without saying that the third-act emphasis on sentimental elements fares especially poorly (ie it’s hard to take these characters seriously following the cartoonish bent of the movie’s first half). And while there are a few admittedly poignant moments peppered in the movie’s final stretch (eg a supporting character laments her advanced age), Last Vegas ultimately establishes itself as a meaningless vanity project that squanders the abilities of its very talented stars.

** out of ****