After 28 years, Val gets out of prison, and his friend Doc picks him up. The local mob boss, Claphands, wants Val dead (Claphands' son died in a robbery and he blames Val) and Doc has until morning to kill him. It's a long night: Val wants to party - they visit a cat house, Val needs Viagra, they break into a pharmacy. After midnight, they pick up Hirsch, their old wheelman, drive the city in a stolen car. They visit the cat house, help a woman in distress, bury a body, and eat at Doc's hangout, a cafè where the waitress, Alex, is cheerful. The sun rises, Claphands wants Val dead, and Val, who has figured out his fate, is resigned. Is there anything left to take care of? Written by

Plot Synopsis:
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One morning, Val gets out of prison, and is picked up by his old friend Doc, who brings him to his apartment. While Val is not looking, Doc takes out a gun and considers shooting him, but changes his mind when Val says he'd like to go out for some fun.

Doc takes Val to a local brothel and gets him a girl. Val soon returns, suggesting he could not go through with the act.

The two break into a pharmacy to get Val some "boner pills" and Doc picks up a few of the prescription pills he also needs.

They return to the brothel after Val gets his erection, and he returns to the previous prostitute. Meanwhile, Doc calls a mob boss who tells him he must kill Val by 10 a.m. the next day.

After Val engages the prostitute four times, the two go to a bar and Val persuades a young woman to dance with him slowly. Val then snorts some of Doc's prescription drugs, and thanks Doc for remaining his only friend through all his years in prison.

Val passes out in Doc's car and once again Doc contemplates shooting him. Doc takes Val to a hospital instead, where his nurse is the daughter of their old friend Hirsch. A doctor comes in and needs to remove some blood from Val's penis to alleviate his problematic erection.

Val and Doc go to a restaurant around midnight and chat up a waitress named Alex. Doc reveals to Val that he's been ordered to kill him because he killed the son of the mob boss. Doc is sympathetic, especially since the hit was ordered 28 years ago when Val went into prison.

As they walk after eating, with 9 hours until Doc must kill Val, they discuss their possible options for getting out of the hit. They steal a muscle car and go to a nursing home to rescue their friend Hirsch.

With Hirsch driving too fast, police begin to chase them, but he speeds away. The trio go back to the brothel so that Hirsch can do two women at once, both of whom express great satisfaction afterward.

While driving away, the guys hear noise in the trunk, and discover a tied-up naked woman inside. They steal the clothes off a local storeowner and take the woman to the restaurant, where Alex serves them again.

The woman, named Sylvia, explains that some guys beat her at a warehouse and put her in the trunk. The trio decide to go with Sylvia to take revenge on the men. Val and Doc enter the warehouse and find four men, shoot two of them and tie them all up. They call the police to pick up the thugs, then leave Sylvia to beat them with a baseball bat.

When Val and Doc return to the car, they find Hirsch dead from natural causes. The two go to the hospital and find Hirsch's daughter, who helps them bury Hirsch's body in the family plot at a local cemetery.

With about 4 hours left until Doc needs to kill Val, they go out for breakfast at the restaurant, where Alex serves them again. Val realizes that Alex is Doc's granddaughter, but he has not told her.

Doc steps aside to call the mob boss and begs him to have mercy on Val. The boss threatens to kill Alex if he does not kill Val. Doc leaves an envelope with a note and key for Alex.

Val stops by a local church to make a confession, listing the bad things he's done just in the past day, and noting some of the good things he's done too.

Val and Doc break into a haberdashery for suits. Two mob thugs show up to kill them, but they shoot one and send the other away. As a local clock chimes 10, Doc tells Val, "It's time."

Alex has gone to Doc's apartment, where he calls her, telling her to look in a shoebox in a closest, which she finds filled with cash. He says he has to go, with Alex realizing he is her grandfather.

Val and Doc walk to the mob boss's hideout and begin shooting.

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fingersv1 from United Kingdom
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The film has a nice genuine feel about it, great story, great acting and a great soundtrack that compliments the film and characters! I found myself getting sucked in to the characters and as much as I enjoy seeing Walken act and hearing his dialogue, Pacino was great in this film too. He's not an angry mobster but a likable criminal one of his best films I think. Walken doesn't give us the old stories that we are used to but his presence is just perfection.

Do not expect this film to be full of gangster violence and action, this is the other end of the career. Experience and heart goes a long way.

I have to say that if this film was made with a different cast I think it would have been slow and easy to miss, walken and pacino make the film as genuine as they come.

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b-meyers from Australia
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I read some of the reviews here, and I think that some who have reviewed this extremely negatively (as in 1/10) are those who appreciate a movie with lots of explosions, and maybe some guys with their tops off, flexing their muscles to accentuate just how tough they are.

Luckily, there isn't much of that in Stand Up Guys. It's character-driven, centered on the relationship between Val (PAcino) and Doc (Walken), both of whom are spectacular.

There's some great dialogue between the two, and despite what you may read on here, the story is quite solid, if simplistic. I don't think people have fully grasped these characters in some reviews, or the meaning of the title "Stand Up Guys". They're throwbacks, and the situations they encounter represent the direction the world has headed over the years, a world that Doc is forced to be a part of, despite wanting a quieter life.

I won't go on any further, but I found the characters endearing, and the relationship between Val and Doc kept me on the hook.

Nice soundtrack, too.

Cheers

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oompietseplaas from South Africa
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I'm not one who often writes reviews and I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this Movie. What can I say - Pacino was Spectacular and Walken is - well, he's Walken. As brilliant as he was in The Deer Hunter. The Duo make a stunning and very humorous Duo and certain parts of the Movie will definitely have you in stitches. I'm not going to say anything about the plot but I highly recommend this Movie to any potential Viewers. Filled with Witty Humour and sharp Sarcasm, the Movie tends to get one thinking about different aspects of Life. A Fun Movie - and though a bit slow, I was fixed on the Screen. Pacino and Walken make some of the Newer Actors look like true Amateurs - Watch it - You'll Love it!!

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ligonlaw from San Francisco, California
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"Stand Up Guys" is a reunion of elderly gangsters. Alan Arkin, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken are in their twilight years, after long careers as mobsters. This Noah Haidle scripted black comedy is a treat for the ears, as these New York wise guys reminisce about the past. The soundtrack of blues greats and Jon Bon Jovi songs is perfectly on point.

Impressions of Walken are fun, but Walken himself does the best Walken. You crave more lines from him. Pacino is at his best here, and great Pacino? Forget about it.

After serving 28 years in prison, Pacino is released. His best friend, played by Walken, picks him up in a car that was probably new when Pacino began his sentence. Walken takes his friend out for one last night of partying before Walken must kill him to fulfill a contact put out by the mob boss.

Walken and Pacino rescue Alan Arkin from a rest home, where he is fading away. Arkin is resurrected to be the wheel man to drive a stolen car on their last night out. Along the way, they meet a variety of quirky and interesting people.

Understated, extremely fine acting make this one of the best films of Walken's or Pacino's careers. Seeing them together is like savoring the finest of fine wine. See it.

Great script, great acting, great music. What else do you need?

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tonsu97 from United States
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I think you need to be around 70 years of age to really enjoy this Movie. I am and I did; I really did. I chuckled and laughed throughout the movie and continued to do so long into the evening as I remembered some of the more memorable scenes. This is a gem of a Movie and brings back a touch of the real movies of yesteryear. No Vampires ; no Zombies; no computer designed sets and monsters, no excruciatingly LOUD music and noises; just a simple story well told with real ACTORS. I could have sat through it again as soon as it was over....and I may go again. Some of these "Critics" need to age a bit to really understand the difference that a Movie like this can bring to its audience

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marinkojason from New Jersey
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I got out to the theater to catch this movie and could not of been more pleased. I laughed hysterically at the cynical humor and really enjoyed how as the story progressed I really got ensconced into these characters. Loved beginning to end. I especially enjoyed Vanessa Ferlito's(deathproof) appearance I look forward to see much more of her in future films. Allan Arkin was a great compliment to Pacino and Walkens lead. I found it unfortunate that on opening day of this movie there were only four showtimes.As I awaited entrance at the concession I felt supreme confidence when the previous showing let out and there was nothing but smiles on the faces of the patrons exiting the previous showing.

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Davidoff Ducasus from Singapore
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This as good as it gets in the real sense, everything perfect, three great actors the mainstay of this movie, no words to describe anyone of them, Julianna Margulies a good actress herself looks wooden in comparison, though it would be unfair.

Whatever little violence there is has been underplayed to highlight the human aspect, heartwarming, not lacking in its comic moments, in fact it have everything, crime, drama, friendship, love, etc., etc., The movie has a warmth about it, well told story, superb acting and apt music for the film , one would wish they were a part of it, for a change Walken is sane, Pacino proves again he can be good at anything, you can't help but love Arkin in the cameo, I am a fan from his "wait until dark" days.

I did not expect any fireworks, I watched it for the cast, and I was not disappointed, an inferior cast may have not stood up to the challenge.

Overdone a little with the empty deserted streets, but the characters more than make up for any flaws A must watch movie, I give this 8/10 Al Pacino, Christopher Walken & Alan Arkin = A NEAR MASTERPIECE

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Paul Magne Haakonsen from Denmark
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Not having gotten around to watching "Stand Up Guys" before now was a mistake on my behalf, especially given the three acting heavyweighters that stars in the movie; Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin.

"Stand Up Guys" is a good comedy that has a nice story to tell. Although this is not the type of comedy that will have you spilling your drinks in your laps from laughing, it is the type of light-hearted comedy that will make you feel good.

The story is about Val (played by Al Pacino) who comes out from prison after 28 years of incarceration. Meeting him at the entrance is his old friend Doc (played by Christopher Walken). Doc has been hired to kill Val and has a time limit until the next morning; and during this time the old friends start up old habits and revisit old friends.

The characters in the movie were nicely fleshed out and nicely detailed. There is a really good chemistry between Pacino and Walken, and this really reflects well on both characters that they play, because there is a very good sense of friendship and intimacy's with one another as they are on the screen.

The movie offers drama, action, comedy and even a high speed chase.

"Stand Up Guys" is a fun and great movie, which offers 95 minutes of great entertainment. If not for the good story, then the movie is well worth watching for the three stars of the movie.

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dvc5159 from Penang, Malaysia / Chicago, USA
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One thing about Fisher Stevens' "Stand Up Guys" is that how lonely, not only the primary characters are, but also how the locations are. Take for example, a simple scene where Val (Pacino) and Doc (Walken) walk down the barren street in the middle of the night, as if both represent a bygone era.

Not long after Val is released from prison, one of his two only friends, Doc, greets him at the prison gates. Doc actually is hired by an old employer to kill Val out of revenge, but Doc cannot bring himself to, even long after Val discover the plot. Surprisingly Val is content with it, but Doc isn't; this tension tests and strengthens their friendship further as the deadline becomes closer.

What ensues is a fun romp through the city, along with the last of the trio, Hirsch (Alan Arkin), involving brothels, car chases, bars, beating up punks and breaking into stores, "just like the good ol' days", Hirsch says. "But it's better now, since we can appreciate it," retorts Val. It might all seem silly and out of place, but it fits the characters, and it supports the notion that they want to go out with style, instead of dying broken and alone in some old folks' home. Just like the good ol' days, one last time.

Al Pacino is a magnificent actor, amongst the greatest ever. He isn't called a legend without reason. In this film, performing at his best in a long time, he embodies Val's solitude and longing for companionship perfectly. Here, in one scene after crudely remarking a young woman in a bar, since it's his first night out of prison, his body language and tone changes in his apology, his eyes become more focused. His gravel voice speaks in a somber tone, of the years that have passed, of missed opportunities, of lost friends and loved ones. "I just, wanna dance", he says, longing for the passion of a woman's beauty. The seemingly perverted old man has disappeared completely into this haunted soul of a human being.

Complementing Pacino's performance is Christopher Walken as Doc, also gifted, also great here. Doc paints for a living, and he is subtly in joy to be hanging out with his best pal before the deadline ends - and he is personally conflicted, not just with killing Val, but with his own personal demons. In a diner, Val and Doc discuss their predicament, Val sees right through him, Doc coolly tries to deny it, although there's no denying his facial and vocal expressions which say otherwise. A later scene in the movie briefly showcases Walken's underrated talent in playing vulnerable, broken characters.

Alan Arkin rounds up the Wild Bunch, his presence smoothens the tension between Val and Doc in a light-hearted, humorous way. He is more than eager to leave the nursing home once Val and Doc arrive, and he shows he 's still got it after eluding the police in wild car chase. Hirsch looks at life in a "whatever happens" manner, and Arkin hilariously does very good with his underscored performance of an adrenaline junkie who longs for a rush.

This is a good film, but it's not a great film. Fisher Stevens directs the film with ease, allowing the actors to have a blast and come out guns blazing while they dance around Noah Haidle's sorta-typical screenplay. I doubt that the film would be better if they were to cast younger and more dashing actors in the role - it just wouldn't work. Steven's handling of the progression between the serious and the silly (A "They Live" reference? Really?) doesn't quite gel together, and the ending, it would seem, is too gung-ho for a movie which builds up dramatic tension. Nevertheless, I would suspect that that's how Val and Doc would love to end it all - with a bang. Bon Jovi's solemn song "Not Running Anymore" perfectly sums up the movie's atmosphere.

Good, solid dramedy with a crime setting. This movie is not for everyone though. For a few generations, Pacino and Walken are iconic for being tough, gangster-like criminals who doesn't take crap from anyone. See this if you want to see them reveal their true depths as actors and show bits of how good they can really be.

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samerku from Lebanon
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Stand Up Guys is a true reminder of what film should be like: an entertaining experience that keeps you on your seat until the very end, and does a bit of everything else; it makes you laugh, touches you, and makes you wonder, and tops it off with theatrics that you accept delightfully. The script of the movie represents the simplest form of complexity. A director's masterpiece, for those who can appreciate the plot in the details. Acting is beyond praise, as everyone is on board, fully engaged in their roles. Everything makes sense, even the almost supernatural energy of the three aging musketeers. It's been such a long time since I've seen a film and at the end of thought that I wanted some more of it. Walken plays a great role at gluing everything together. Fisher Stevens has got the hang of good film making.

night|pharmacy|waitress|viagra|altruism|rapist comeuppance|naked woman|female nudity|woman in trunk|passionate kiss|paying for sex|giant syringe|black doctor|priapism|ex convict|telephone call|dancing|nightclub|bar|sex with prostitute|russian prostitute|erection|medicine|pharmacy break in|prostitution|brothel madam|pills|tuxedo|neo noir|erectile dysfunction|gang lord|los angeles california|car chase|showdown|freight elevator|experience versus youth|rape victim|amateur artist|headstone|loyalty|oil painting|cemetery|nursing home|bordello|emphysema|chinese food|drugstore|biblical quote|convenience store|ex con|parole|granddaughter|korean american|old friend|arsenal|pump action shotgun|shootout|grandfather granddaughter relationship|punched in the throat|stained glass window|hit in the crotch with a baseball bat|handcuffed|suspended by arms|bound and gagged|nude woman in a car trunk|menage a trois|whispering|joy ride|stealing a car|syringe|ballroom dancing|playing pool|picking a lock|men hugging|retirement home|emergency room|punched in face|implied rape|spontaneous erection|fast car|nurse|prostitute|revenge|police chase|baseball bat|shot in the foot|shot in the knee|shot in the hand|brothel|impotence|old man|gangster|release from prison|confession|catholic|confessional|catholic priest|friendship between men|best friend|friendship|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:16 / Australia:MA15+ / Canada:14A (Ontario) / Denmark:11 / Germany:12 / Hungary:16 / Japan:PG12 / Mexico:B15 / Netherlands:12 / New Zealand:R16 / Philippines:R-13 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:NC-16 / UK:15 / USA:R