Last Vegas

***
Release Date: January 3rd 2014

Three sixty-something friends take a break from their day-to-day lives to throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single pal.

Director: Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets)

Starring: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen

What would happen if the Wolfpack from The Hangover went back to Las Vegas 30 years later? It would be an amusing take on an older generation trying to party like they're still young. The outcome is funny, but safe. Men will be men, regardless of their age.

Films with a seasoned cast have been hugely successful over the last couple of years. Last Vegas has an exceptional ensemble, similar to that of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet.

If you've been to Las Vegas before then you'll instantly know that Last Vegas' representation of the Strip is at times exaggerated (don't expect to get there and instantaneously party with LMFAO) and at others true to its core (being bombarded with sleazy adverts of scantily clad women at every street corner). Besides this, the story is focuses friendship, with Vegas being the backdrop.

Billy (Douglas) is has proposed to his other half, whom is a woman half his age. He rallies his three closest friends, old but fiery Archie (Freeman), married sex pest Sam (Kline) and not so warm Paddy (De Niro) to come to his bachelor weekend in Vegas, but it's up Archie and Sam to convince Paddy to come along. After much toil and drudgery, Paddy decides to join them. Little does he know that Sam and Archie 'forget' to tell him the reason why they're going.

Last Vegas may be predictable, but it's no major concern. Once united, the quartet are in full bloom, bouncing off each others mannerisms with incredible results. Archie gambles most of his pension money, only to come out the other end with a six figure sum. Sam sets out to fill a yearning need that only the opposite gender can adhere. Billy questions his marriage when he meets lounge singer Diana (Steenburgen) and Paddy finds tiny reasons to lash out at Billy over past mistakes.

If there's anything to take from Last Vegas, it's that age is never a concern. Whether you're old or young, Vegas is a place for adventure, and there are no limits. Age stereotypes dominate the scenes; the young disrespect their elders, and the majority of the laughs come from repeated subject matters i.e. age, or the inability to perform certain tasks (because of their age and health). Not to be taken seriously, this is a film that knows we all follow the same road, and growing old is inescapable.

Overview: We all laugh at the expense of others, and Last Vegas allows us to partake in this. The four main actors keep the film's head above water, never letting it fully sink.