Last Vegas Movie Poster Image

Last Vegas

age 14+
(i)

 

Old timers' The Hangover with plenty of heart.
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  • Review Date: November 1, 2013
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Year: 2013
  • Running Time: 104 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Friendship and loyalty are what can get you through life, and the four main characters in this film have been pals for close to 60 years. Even when they are justifiably angry with each other, they can't forget their history, and recognize that this kind of longtime relationship sustains them all.

Positive role models

The four main characters all have some growing up to do, including a married man who's tempted to cheat, a grieving widower who must learn to enjoy life again, and a lifelong bachelor who needs to figure out why he's never been willing to commit.

Violence

An angry woman slaps her boyfriend during a heated and emotional argument. A teenage boy punches an older bully. Later, an older man punches a twenty-something bully.

Sex

Numerous scenes featuring gratuitous shots of scantily clad women, in their underwear, in bikinis, in short dresses and revealing tops. Some suggestive flirting. One character's wife gives him a condom and a "free pass" for the weekend. He is tempted to cheat on her with a younger woman who undresses and kisses him; no body parts are visible. A couple is shown in bed, under the covers, relaxing after having sex. 

Language

Moderate swearing, including "ass," "s--t," "damn," "balls," "p---k," "--sshole," and one well-timed "f--k."

Consumerism

The Aria hotel in Las Vegas in the main setting in the film. It's mentioned by name many times, and numerous scenes feature its logo and other branded images. Southwest Airlines gets prominent placement in two airport scenes. Many other Las Vegas casinos make brief appearances when the film shows street scenes. A few well-known alcoholic drinks get screen time, including Stella Artois beer and Grey Goose vodka.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

The main characters frequently drink while relaxing or at parties. Nightclub and party scenes feature many people drinking and show bars covered with bottles of liquor. The scenes suggest that drinking heavily is a major part of an enjoyable night, though one character later blames his rude and inconsiderate behavior on having too much to drink.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Last Vegas features four lifelong pals who reconnect during a drink-filled bachelor weekend in Las Vegas. There's plenty of wild parties, trips to nightclubs, and even a bikini contest, all well-lubricated with lots of liquor. Expect some swearing, as well as many, many scenes with women in very scanty outfits, though no actual nudity. At the heart of the film is a sweet story about friendship and the definition of true love.

What's the story?

Lifelong friends Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman), and Sam (Kevin Kline), agree to reunite in Las Vegas to celebrate the impending marriage of the fourth member of their childhood quartet, Billy (Michael Douglas). But there's one problem: Paddy isn't speaking to Billy, and Billy may have lingering questions he needs answering before he can say "I do." LAST VEGAS follows the men as they joke about their health, their stamina during some raucous nights on the town, and the choices they have made in their lives.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

What a joy it is to see this fantastic foursome together onscreen in a film that explores, albeit with a light touch, the vagaries of aging and the burdens and joys of friendship through the years. It's fun, it's silly, it's The Hangover four decades later -- without the uber-crass parts.

But is it original? The answer will have to be no, since there are no new insights in this deft, but fairly standard, buddy comedy. Had the casting been more unconventional -- say, De Niro as the suave, successful Hollywood guy instead of the crabby Brooklynite he plays, or even Freeman, for that matter -- Last Vegas would've been more memorable. If it had any other epiphanies besides that long friendships are rare and valuable, and long, solid marriages, too, even more so. Prepare to see it for the actors, but not for any refreshing perspectives.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about the lifelong relationships between the four main characters. Why are some of them angry at each other? How do friendships change over time? Who is your oldest friend?

  • What messages does the movie send about alcohol and drinking? How would the story have been different if no one drank?

  • How would this movie have been different if the four friends were female?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:November 1, 2013
DVD release date:January 28, 2014
Cast:Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro
Director:Jon Turteltaub
Studio:CBS Films
Genre:Drama
Topics:Friendship
Run time:104 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:sexual content and language

This review of Last Vegas was written by

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Quality

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging; great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Teen, 15 years old Written byStevie111 November 4, 2013
age 13+

Hysterical Bachelor Party Comedy

This had the potential to be one of those movies with a cast that promises a hit, but it turns out to be plain bad. This wasn't even close to that scenario. It was frequently very, very funny, with humor appealing to teens and adults, not 100+ minutes of potty humor. These were smart, funny jokes and the movie just worked spectacularly. It is a bit crude and there is frequent swearing, so mature 11-12, or teens and up.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
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Adult Written byjoshua martinez November 11, 2013
age 14+

14 and up.

las vagas is an average drama movie about friendship stars with four talented actors Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, and Michael Douglas with all that being said this drama movie is good enough for your older teens to enjoy but parents this drama movie las vagas has some sexual content some strong language used and lots of social drinking the positive message is about friendship.
What other families should know
Great messages
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Parent Written byDan G. November 19, 2013
age 16+

Not explicit, but too much adult content for children

Besides being pretty boring, the movie contains too much objectionable material for children. None of it is explicit, but the consistent undercurrent of this movie is that we're here to have selfish fun, no matter who we hurt, and in disregard for any consequences of that behavior later on: 1. Plenty of alcohol is consumed during adult partying. 2. A much younger woman is marrying a rich 32-year-older man for his money. 3. One of the men's wives gives him approval to commit adultry at the bachelor party in Vegas. 4. The main character, the older man about to be married, chases after another woman in Vegas at his bachelor party. 5. There is a small part with female nudity, and since this is four guys on a bachelor party trip, there is significant dialog that objectifies women as sex objects. 6. There is the normal crude and profane language common in adult films.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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