3.5 Stars: Perfect for those who "need more cowbell"
Doc arrives at the prison to pick up his gangster cohort Val , who’s finally being released after 28 years. Their crime boss Claphands blames Val for the death of his son, however, and secretly orders Doc to kill Val.
Though deeply conflicted over his order to take out Val, Doc has until morning to do the deed — or he’s the one who’ll be dead. Perhaps oblivious to his fate, Val just wants to party, and Doc obliges his friend.
At a nightclub, Val begins to drink and snort everything he can get his hands on. He’s a guy who's so broken yet so honest and transparent about the state of his lost soul that he manages to convince a beautiful young woman to slow-dance with him. A stunning achievement from this old, grubby f-ed-up guy.
The story really picks up when they “rescue” their other partner in crime, Hirsch from the retirement home. They steal a car and all three come back to life as the adrenaline from their gasoline-powered fun starts to kick in.
The most vivacious scenes take place at a brothel run by Wendy , the daughter of a madam the men so fondly remember from years earlier. The one thing left on Hirsch’s bucket list is to have a threesome, and while we don’t see the actual scene, the two young women are left wanting more. Way to go, Alan Arkin!
Walken’s fatherly relationship with a young waitress shines a light on part of his soul that is loving, kind and righteous.
Bottom line: Christopher Walken and Al Pacino are a delight on-screen, proving they still have much to offer the American cinema. There’s also an emotional lift at the end of the film that breathes life and hope into these rusty men, proving there’s endless beauty in a sunrise — and a sunset.
Run time is 1 hour, 34 minutes and there are no extra scenes after the credits.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Films
Val is released from prison after serving twenty-eight years for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best friend Doc is there to pick him up, and the two soon re-team with another old pal, Hirsch. Their bond is as strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained, loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. And despite their age, their capacity for mayhem is still very much alive and well - bullets fly as they make a hilariously valiant effort to compensate for the decades of crime, drugs and sex they\'ve missed. But one of the friends is keeping a dangerous secret- he\'s been put in an impossible quandary by a former mob boss, and his time to find an acceptable alternative is running out. As the sun rises on the guys\' legendary reunion, their position becomes more and more desperate and they finally confront their past once and for all.