Last Vegas

Stars: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Joanna Gleason, Kevin J O'Connor, Jerry Ferrara, 50 Cent, Bre Blair

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Four old guys (Douglas, De Niro, Freeman, Kline), now nearing 70 but buddies since childhood - would a black kid have been friends with three white kids 60 years ago? Well, OK, maybe - decide to go on a Las Vegas weekend to celebrate one of their number (Douglas) getting married for the first time - to a woman 35 years his junior.

'She's about 32,' Freeman's told about Douglas's intended. 'Hell,' he replies. 'I have a haemorrhoid that's about 32.'

Sam (Kline) and Archie (Freeman) are up for the jaunt, but widower Paddy (De Niro), still grieving over the loss of his wife a year earlier, does take some persuading.

Once there, Freeman wins at cards, Kline is engulfed in women, and Douglas and De Niro both fall for 50something lounge singer Diana (Steenburgen, bringing much-needed warmth to the film).

Although the movie isn't really a comedy (and all the best jokes are, as usual, in the trailer), but rather a nostalgic longing to recapture times gone by, it is the funny moments that work best and indeed keep it going. It's lightweight, but quite jolly and very acceptable mainstream entertainment.

David Quinlan

USA 2013. UK Distributor: Universal. Colour by deluxe.
106 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 29 Dec 2013