Going in Style

Every now and then, Hollywood remembers it has senior citizens among its cadre of actors, and decides to have some fun with it by assembling a cast of old people and having them do something you wouldn't expect old people to do. The thing about these movies is, nine times out of ten, they're not meant to be taken seriously; you're supposed to laugh at the silly situation, while appreciating that the actors are getting to do a movie where they can sit back and cut loose. Going In Style is an entry in this weird sub-genre, and it exemplifies it in the utmost. Three older guys (Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin) see their pensions get wiped out due to corporate merger shenanigans, and decide to rob the bank that's handling it. There's no deep analysis of the heartlessness in the corporate world to take care of their retirees, no "we've still got it" axe to grind, no nothing beyond the surface, and it is proud of it. And that's all Going In Style needs to be. Its grand ambition is to entertain you for an hour and a half or so, and it did that for me. Caine, Freeman, and Arkin (along with some guest appearances from Christopher Lloyd as a sunsetting friend, and Ann-Margaret as a love interest for Arkin) are having a blast, and that radiates off the screen like a spotlight. My wife and I knew what we were getting into when we saw the trailer on Netflix, and that's why we clicked on it: because it looked FUN. A movie whose one and only intention was to be a lark, and it delivered in that regard. Could a more cynical critic find things to pick apart about it? Absolutely. But I'm not that guy. I bet this was as fun to be made as it is to watch. Put away your high-minded ideals about what "cinema" is, put this on, and just have some fun.