GOING IN STYLE

(director: Zach Braff; screenwriters: Ted Melfi/story by Edward Cannon; cinematographer: Rodney Charters; editor: Myron Kerstein; music: Rob Simonsen; cast: Morgan Freeman (Willie), Michael Caine (Joe), Alan Arkin (Al), Christopher Lloyd (Milton), Joey King (Brooklyn), Kenan Thompson (Supermarket Manager), Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Mitzi, Waitress), Josh Pais (Chuck Lofton, Bank Officer), Ann-Margaret (Annie), Matt Dillon (FBI Agent Hamer), John Ortiz (Jesus), Peter Serafinowicz (Murphy); Runtime: 97; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producer: Donald De Line; Warner Bros. Pictures; 2017)

“Though it’s great to see these 3 iconic actors onscreen together, it’s too bad it has to be in this creaky film that no actor could save.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Zach Braff (“Garden State”) ineptly helms this pitiful sitcom remake of the more graceful Martin Brest 1979 comedy that starred the late George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg. It’s based on the same 1979 short story by Edward Cannon and is weakly written by Ted Melfi.

Spending their days in NYC parks are former co-workers Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin. The old-codgers are retired factory workers whose pensions suddenly have vanished because of corporate malfeasance when their steel plant moves overseas. Furthermore Caine’s character is embattled with a New York bank that has unjustly tripled his mortgage payments. Thereby Caine has no trouble to get the unhappy campers to go along with his plan to rob the crooked bank. Take note that ironically one of the film’s executive producers is Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Though it’s great to see these 3 iconic actors onscreen together, it’s too bad it has to be in this creaky film that no actor could save. My advice is to rent the 1979 version, if you must see such a pifle.

REVIEWED ON 4/8/2017 GRADE: C-   https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/