By Peter Hyle
On Friday, the new comedy Last Vegas hit theatres with an impressive cast but a seemingly unimpressive plot. Starring Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, and Kevin Kline, all of which have won Oscars. I actually was not excited to see this movie. It seemed like an older version of The Hangover and I honestly expected one of the main characters to end up in the hospital. But I figured that since the cast was so talented, I had to give it a shot.
The story centers around four best friends coming to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party for Billy (Douglas), the last in the group (De Niro, Freeman, and Kline) to get married. Of course there’s drama and a love interest (Mary Steenburgen) added in, which helps distract from the occasional overused line or annoying scene.
I didn’t get 10 minutes into the movie without rolling my eyes. Parts of this movie are way too cliché for my taste, but thankfully they didn’t take up the entire film. It was sometimes painfully obvious that Last Vegas was made for a much older demographic.
The actors definitely saved this movie in more ways than one. They provide the film with a relaxed and good-natured feeling that made it watchable. The actors were comfortable on the big screen and made it funny, but not hilarious. The four main characters shared a comedic chemistry that made it somewhat more pleasant.
Despite the good acting, everything was predictable. Most of the jokes depended on the age of the cast rather than the creativity of the writing. It had a few minor twists that added to the overall depth of the plot, but everything still ended the way I expected it to.
Overall, this film lacked a lot of originality. It could have been much better, especially with such a talented cast. It is not necessarily a bad movie. It is entertaining and occasionally humorous, but it is yet another case where the actors are above their material. It was a warm and cliché film that can make you smile, but if you want any sort of depth or impact in the theatre then Last Vegas is not for you. 6/10.