Movie Information
Release Date: April 7, 2017
Director: Zach Braff
Writer: Theodore Melfi, Edward Cannon
Cast: Joey King, Morgan Freeman, Ann-Margret, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Serafinowicz, Matt Dillon, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, John Ortiz, Kenan Thompson, Maria Dizzia, Katlyn Carlson, Josh Pais, Melanie Nicholls-King, Doris McCarthy, Camiel Warren-Taylor, Jeremy Bobb, Nancy Castro, Seth Barrish, Ashley Aufderheide, Lolita Foster, Jeremy Shinder, Jen Ponton
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 96 minutes
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, Warner Bros.
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Language: English
Country: USA
Budget: N/A
For most of us, there will come a time when kicking the bucket is right around the corner. A time of sitting back laughing and reminiscing on all the great times from the past. Hopefully you’ll have a good friend or two to share those memories with, as these three best friends do to the fullest. From the first few moments of the film, it’s clear Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin are a triple threat of comedic brilliance, as they bounce off each other like they were born to do so. Some of the material may seem familiar, but they give it that extra pop that’s worth your while. It is a film I could see over and over again, with its flaws and all.
As this adventure begins, director Zach Braff (Wish I Was Here) did an excellent job of making you empathize with the characters. It may be due to them being of an elderly age, but the talent from both in front and behind the camera is apparent. You’re able to relate from an instant, because no one likes to be taken advantage of. Then with the lead cast being their honest original selves, it’s a one two punch of development and laughs to get you on board. These gentlemen are great as a group, and still have their own lives to cater to, giving you more to care about. Joe (Michael Caine) just wants to be the best grandfather he can be, Willie (Morgan Freeman) is trying to get over an illness, and Albert (Alan Arkin) just wants to be left alone, but always has a woman in his ear trying to give him the business.
The plot of the film is straight forward, but the attention to detail regarding their age gives the film several surprising twists. Trying to cast no shade, it isn’t realistic for 3 older men, who in some cases can barely get around, to try to rob a high secured bank in broad daylight. The film addresses this in a hilarious manner, through montages that are nothing short of hilarious. If nothing else, this is a laugh out loud comedy that will appeal to all ages, as it justifies the predicament the main cast is in. There’s also an innocence to it as well that wraps you up like a warm blanket, as the film may address your own frustration in the real world on how you’re frustrated with an establishment.
The negative aspect of the film is sometimes it went too far as per the actual heist itself. I understand the tone of the film is a non-serious, sit back and laugh comedy, but the elementary approach to some sequences could’ve been left on the cutting room floor. It doesn’t ruin the film, but slows it down from its steady pace. It’s all in the love of fantasy, as we all ponder sometime what we’d like to do in each situation, but treating your audience like a child every blue moon still won’t get you a pass.
Going in Style delivers everything it promised in the trailer, a fun excuse to rob a bank with laughs that you won’t feel guilty about. It is like going to a glass house to relieve all your tensions as the classic actors try to go out with a bang. It’s a film that belongs in your collection of hits, not as an all-time great, but an overall fun ride that can play on repeat. It’s the type of film that when on television you stop and watch no matter what position it’s in, being a cute little movie that’s rich in its simplicity.