Stand Up Guys

2013

Stand Up Guys

Critics Consensus

Stand Up Guys largely wastes its talented cast in a resolutely mediocre comedy hampered by messy direction and a perfunctory script.

37%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 106

46%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 18,330

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Movie Info

Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after serving twenty-eight years for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best friend Doc (Christopher Walken) is there to pick him up, and the two soon re-team with another old pal, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Their bond is as strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained, loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. But one of the friends is keeping a dangerous secret- he's been put in an impossible quandary by a former mob boss, and his time to find an acceptable alternative is running out. As the sun rises on the guys' legendary reunion, their position becomes more and more desperate and they finally confront their past once and for all. -- (C) Lionsgate
  • Rating:
    R (for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use)
  • Genre:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Directed By:
    Fisher Stevens
  • Written By:
    Noah Haidle
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $3,301,046
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Lionsgate

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Cast

Al Pacino
as Val
Christopher Walken
as Doc
Alan Arkin
as Hirsch
Julianna Margulies
as Nina Hirsch
Addison Timlin
as Alex
Vanessa Ferlito
as Sylvia
Lucy Punch
as Wendy
Mark Margolis
as Claphands
Katheryn Winnick
as Oxana
Bill Burr
as Larry
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Critic Reviews for Stand Up Guys

All Critics (106) | Top Critics (35)

  • An initially promising, increasingly glutinous buddy comedy that exploits and squanders the talents of its starry cast.

    Jun 28, 2013 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Charlotte O'Sullivan

    London Evening Standard
    Top Critic

  • With a little bit of chutzpah and a fistful of Viagra, the tough guys of yesteryear can still come staggering back to make a decent movie.

    Jun 27, 2013 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Peter Bradshaw

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • Thematic inconsistencies abound as Stevens aims for a tone somewhere between Grumpy Old Men, The Hangover, and Goodfellas.

    Feb 4, 2013 | Full Review…

    Drew Hunt

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • 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.

    Feb 2, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Travers

    Rolling Stone
    Top Critic

  • 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?

    Feb 1, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Howell

    Toronto Star
    Top Critic

  • If you don't think Al Pacino still has it in him, this is a welcome chance to be proved wrong.

    Feb 1, 2013 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

    Mick LaSalle

    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (106)

Audience Reviews for Stand Up Guys

  • 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.
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 10, 2014
    The 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.
    Daniel P Super Reviewer
  • Mar 23, 2014
    A 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
  • Mar 11, 2014
    Honestly 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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