Going in Style: The Movie That Proves You Are Never Too Old to Be a Successful Criminal

Movie Review:

Going In Style (2017)

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Overview

Pros

• Great comedic elements
• Cute comradery between the main characters
• Good actors
• The concept is hilarious
• Considers serious issues of our time

Cons

• Requires a ton of suspension of disbelief
• Somewhat predictable

Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead!

Review

Going in Style is about three old men who decide to rob a bank after their pensions are canceled. The stakes in this movie are high because all three men are really struggling. Joe, for example, will be homeless in less than a month if he doesn’t do something, and Willie is gravely ill from kidney failure.

The comedy level in this movie is high because a bunch of inexperienced, kind old men are trying to pull off a crime that even seasoned criminals would struggle with. Joe is inspired when he witnesses a bank robbery to try it himself, and enlists his reluctant friends Willie and Albert to help him rob a bank.

These banks practically destroyed this country. They crushed a lot of people’s dreams, and nothing ever happened to them. We three old guys, we hit a bank. We get away with it, we retire in dignity. Worst comes to the worst, we get caught, we get a bed, three meals a day, and better health care than we got now.”

Joe

The banter between the three old friends is sweet and funny. The actors really make their friendship convincing, and their close relationship leads to a lot of laughs.

My favorite part is when they decide to rob a grocery store as practice, stealing the ingredients for chicken cordon bleu. It all goes horribly wrong, and ends up as a low speed chase with flour used as a smoke screen and a getaway motorized shopping cart. My dad laughed so hard at that scene–it really was very funny.

It pulls off the comedic parts well, while still making the message of the film rather serious. The gist of it is that a country should take care of its elderly. Even the young bank robber at the beginning of the film acknowledges this. The film also explores the flaws of capitalism.

The movie was unrealistic in the extreme, requiring a lot of suspension of disbelief. The idea that a bunch of old men who have never committed a crime before taking lessons on robbery and then going on to rob a bank themselves is super far-fetched, and only some parts of their alibis were convincing.

Overall, this movie deserves a 7/10 rating for being a fun, enjoyable film with great actors. I would recommend it for ages 13 and up, and for anyone who enjoys comedies.