It is the story of a young man named Fall who was released from prison after 28 years. After leaving prison, Fall meets up with his old friend and partner Doc, who is charged with killing him. Now, the couple then tries to restore the old gang again to solve things and find a new path before Doc does his job.
It's just fun to watch Pacino, Walken and Arkin work together, very much enjoying the shared experience. Seeing Stand Up Guys is an offer you could easily refuse, but hey, why fight it?
Some actors don't need top-shelf material. Just the pleasure of their company is enough. And so Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin turn the insubstantial Stand Up Guys into solid entertainment.
A messy script isn't enough to undermine these clever veteran actors, who manage to make the most of the humour, drama and action without ever losing their dignity.
The degree to which "Stand Up Guys" succeeds at all is completely dependent on Walken, who elevates everything around him by seemingly doing nothing at all.
Thanks to Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin - mostly just for being charismatic old pros who are fun to hang out with - Stand Up Guys is watchable, occasionally amusing, not altogether insufferable.
It's depressing to see the likes of Pacino reduced to making erectile dysfunction jokes, more so when the film labours the gag by having him overdose on Viagra.
The pace is too slack, the gags too tired and the plot too hackneyed for the film to be more than fitfully engaging for all but die-hard Pacino and Walken fans.
