
Stand Up Guys
2012, Comedy/Drama, 1h 35m
108 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Stand Up Guys largely wastes its talented cast in a resolutely mediocre comedy hampered by messy direction and a perfunctory script. Read critic reviews
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Cast & Crew
Val
Hirsch
Nina Hirsch
Claphands
Wendy
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Critic Reviews for Stand Up Guys
Audience Reviews for Stand Up Guys
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Dec 13, 2014"Stand Up Guys" starts with Val(Al Pacino) being released from prison after 28 years, where he is met by his best friend Doc(Christopher Walken). Whereas Doc may never stab his friend in the back, he may have to shoot him, under orders from Claphands(Mark Margolis). But first Doc takes his friend to get laid and introduces him to viagra. "Stand Up Guys" is a better movie than I was expecting and not as good as it could have been. For example, there is a scene in a cemetery that makes absolutely no sense but still works. In any case, it is always fun watching a couple of old pros do their thing, even Al Pacino who is relatively restrained here. And while the movie does have its share of erection jokes, it is also wistful in tone, telling the viewer the story of this singular friendship over an eventful night.
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Sep 10, 2014The star is for Christopher Walken, who really commits to this turdburger of a movie and makes Al Pacino look just as washed-up as I've long refused to admit he is. Skip this one, blecch.
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Mar 23, 2014A hit-man must kill his ex-partner, who has just been released from prison, but first they go on one last evening of entertainment. Christopher Walken, who has discovered his sensitive side in his later years, and Al Pacino are great together, and I can only wish that they unite for a better story than this one. Uneven in tone and genre, the film is best described as Grumpy Old Men meets Carlito's Way, and those two films don't mix well. Alan Arkin, forever sardonic, is hilarious but miscast, only adding to the comedic milieu, until we're supposed to take the film seriously. Overall, though I'm happy to see good actors giving good performances, even the best actors need a script.Jim H Super Reviewer
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Mar 11, 2014Honestly just not that good. This film just doesn't have anything resembling any kind of direction...it doesn't go anywhere. The meat of this film, its middle is just bland and boring. Pacino's alright here, and Walken's good as usual, but he's badly underused for most of the film. So is Alan Arkin for that matter...he's only onscreen for like 10 minutes, then he's gone. Now, granted, the last like 5 minutes of the movie are pretty damn awesome, but that doesn't make up for how shitty the rest of the movie is. It just stopped me from giving this a slightly worse rating.Stephen S Super Reviewer
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