6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Aging gangster Val is picked up by his old friend and partner Doc as he is released from prison after serving a 28-year sentence for refusing to snitch on another associate. The two reflect on the times they've spent together before deciding to break their other partner out of a retirement home to reunite the whole gang.
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Margulies, Mark MargolisCrime | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
feat. commentary [DD2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps]
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
One of the oddest sights on view during the press junket surround Stand Up Guys’ theatrical release was the guest appearance of Christopher Walken on The Daily Show, where the veteran actor confessed to being “chatty” with co-stars Al Pacino and Alan Arkin while they killed time in between takes. Chatty? Christopher Walken? It was enough to send host Jon Stewart into gales of falsetto laughter. If only some of that same sensibility had crept into the final film. Stand Up Guys is one of those films that would seem to have surefire possibilities based simply on casting alone, but which labors under an inchoate screenplay which lurches from improbability to improbability and equally unkempt direction from actor Fisher Stevens (Stevens also produced the Oscar winning documentary The Cove). This would be comedy plays a little like a high concept reboot of something that might be called The Godfather: The Next Generation, with three senior citizen goodfellas reuniting for a night of carnage (and carnality) as a subplot involving a forced hit also plays out. Al Pacino plays Valentine, known by his nickname Val, who is finally getting out of the joint after an astounding 28 years. He’s met at the prison gate by his old partner in crime (literally) Doc (Christopher Walken), a seemingly gentle soul who has opted out of the wiseguy lifestyle and instead spends his days watching “the cable television” and painting colorful landscapes of sunrises in his somewhat squalid apartment. When Doc takes Val back to this apartment to let Val freshen up, we’re let in on the fact that Doc is out to kill Val, albeit perhaps reluctantly. Later, we discover that Doc is being forced to kill Val by the local crime boss Claphands (Mark Margolis), who wants revenge for Val having (accidentally) killed Claphands’ son three decades ago, the crime that put Val away for the bulk of his middle age. Stand Up Guys plays out over the course of one (incredulously) eventful night, as Val seeks to make up for lost time while Doc has to consider competing loyalties as he decides how to handle his “assignment” to terminate Val with extreme prejudice.
Stand Up Guys is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Fine object detail is often at astounding levels—for better or worse, considering the creased faces on display—due to director Fisher Stevens' and Director of Photography Michael Grady's (Wonderland) penchant for close-ups throughout the film. Every crag and chin hair is easily noticeable on both Walken's and Pacino's visages. If Arkin gets off a little easier, it's partially due to his shorter screen time and the fact that he isn't given as many extreme close-ups. This Red Epic shot feature boasts really superior contrast, something that helps augment the nighttime scenes which comprise the bulk of the film. Shadow detail remains excellent throughout virtually all of this enterprise. Colors are natural looking and the image is clear and precise.
Stand Up Guys's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 has some surprising "oomph" courtesy of both the ubiquitous source cues (Stevens fills the film with old soul tunes) as well as some of the set pieces including the boisterous car chase. Surround activity is fairly consistent, though it really only becomes totally noticeable in the aforementioned instances. Otherwise, dialogue is anchored front and center, with only occasional foley effects dotting the surrounds. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range is rather surprisingly wide.
Stand Up Guys starts out promisingly enough, and had it hewed more closely to what it seems to be about in those opening moments—a character study of two aging criminals—the film could have been much more enjoyable, even if it never quite made it to blockbuster status. But once that Farrelly sensibility creeps in (not that there's anything wrong with that sensibility per se—it's just that it doesn't fit in this film), things careen more and more off the rails until there's little left but a massive train wreck on view. It's really sad that the first on screen pairing of Walken and Pacino should have produced such incredibly flat results. Fans of the actors may want to check this out as a rental, but I can't imagine this ever being mentioned among the best films either of these legendary actors have made over the course of their long and varied careers.
2016
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Director's Cut
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Extended Director's Cut
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