Last Vegas (Turteltaub, 2013)

There are only four reasons to see Last Vegas: Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline. 

With all the people that are necessary to make a movie, sometimes it comes down to the actors to determine how good a film really is. In the case of Last Vegas, at best decent direction comes through as entertaining comedy when the stars take center stage. 

Michael Douglas leads the cast as Billy, a wealthy businessman who finally decides to settle down and get married... to a woman nearly half his age. He calls up his three childhood best friends, Paddy (De Niro), Archie (Freeman), and Sam (Kline), who are living at various locations across the country. The friends decide to hold a bachelor party for Billy in Las Vegas, to take a break from their now monotonous lives. 

In Vegas, the guys meet Diana (Mary Steenburgen, who manages to hold her own against four powerhouse performers), a lounge singer who helps the men loosen up and enjoy the city. Health problems and a lack of connection with the younger Vegas crowd causes hilarity to ensue. But soon, jealousy and a long-standing feud between Billy and Paddy could cause the four guys their friendship. 

The movie itself is clichéd storytelling, with a minimalistic effort done on the part of the production team. Fortunately, Last Vegas succeeds thanks to it's four charismatic lead performers, arguably the best male actors in the motion picture industry today. Their chemistry is undeniably addictive to watch. 

Michael Douglas plays his usual charming businessman, and manages to wrangle the most effective drama in the story. Kevin Kline steals every scene he is in, and he has the best lines of the film. The comedic performance evokes his glory days of A Fish Called Wanda and The Big Chill. Morgan Freeman's family subplot is uninteresting and done before; but he, like Kline, nails his dialogue, and seems to be having the most fun of the leading cast.  

Robert De Niro feels out of place, and is the "one of these things is not like the other" factor in the film. Nevertheless, he plays his usual character: a tough-as-nails paternal figure who harasses his friends, but in the end is passionately loyal, and the one you want watching your back. His participation in Last Vegas is certainly not the worst comedic decision the actor has made either (Little Fockers, anyone?).

Kudos to the casting department, by the way, who managed to find four young actors that completely look and act like the four leads for the film's opening credits. 

The comedy is good, better than the average modern farce. It jokes on getting older in an affable way, and puts the characters in some truly hillarious situations. This is both fun to watch and easy to relate to, no matter how old the viewer is. The best work done by director Jon Turtetaub in the movie is the frequent phone conversations, which are nicely edited to create a standout comic effect. Again, not to beat a dead horse, but this is mostly due to the stars. 

Last Vegas frequently dabbles in murky subjects, most of which could have been removed with little to no impact. Themes such as aging, loyalty, love, and death are heavily emphasized with lackluster energy. There are several slow scenes that bog down the picture; however, the scenes with the four stars are highly entertaining, and they go on fun misadventures that will make viewers laugh hysterically.

Ultimately, your appreciation for Last Vegas will come from how much you like the four stars. If you don't, then the movie is a slightly better-than-average comedy that may or may not make you laugh. If you do, on the other hand, then Last Vegas is a special treat that will provide escapist entertainment for a little under two hours. 

Three out of five stars.