Going In Style (2017) [Blu-Ray]

Director: Zach Braff

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin

Release Date: August 1, 2017

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 7.5/10
Disc Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

‘Going in Style’ tells the story of three aging best friends who just can’t seem to catch a break. Following the closure of their old employer and the subsequent cancellation of their pensions as a result, Joe (Caine), Willie (Freeman) and Albert (Arking) begin to contemplate taking drastic action. After having just been a bystander during a bank robbery, Joe begins to develop a plan to rob the bank himself, taking notes based on his first hand experience and additionally enlisting the help of a knowledgeable local criminal (Ortiz) in order to better ensure success. Intent to actually go through with his mildly crazy idea and pull off the job, Joe merely needs to get Willie and Albert on board in order to make what began as a random, crazy thought an actual reality; assuming these old timers can actually manage to pull it off without getting caught.

Directed by Zach Braff (director of Garden State, and probably known for his lead role on the sitcom ‘Scrubs’) from a screenplay by Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures) which was based upon the 1979 story by Edward Cannon respectively, Braff does a great job at the helm of ‘Going in Style’ capturing the carefree fun, excitement and laughs with ease. The film also owes a huge chunk of the credit to the incredibly talented folks that comprise the cast and really allow this one to work as magnificently as it does, including Morgan Freeman (Se7en) , Michael Caine (The Prestige), Alan Arkin (Argo), Ann-Margret (Grumpy Old Men), Matt Dillon (There’s Something About Mary), Joey King (The Conjuring), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), John Ortiz (Fast & Furious) and more, nearly all delivering fitting and spot on performances in each of their respective roles.

‘Going in Style’ is a fun, carefree and often quite hilarious ride into old age with three best friends who following continuous obstacles decide to rob the bank that’s been indirectly robbing them for far too long. While it may not have much new to bring to the table, nor does it ever really veer from the expected course in its plotline, this somehow only manages to really let the viewer entirely relax and allow themselves to sit back and enjoy the fun without a worry in the world which fits this simple piece of moviemaking enjoyment like a glove and allows it to really do its thing. There are plenty of reasons to see a movie, and while some may be upset by this one’s lack of creativity or groundbreaking achievements, there is also something truly special about a film that attempts to do nothing more than entertain and provide a solidly enjoyable ninety minutes for its viewers to escape and smile along with and ‘Going in Style’ is a perfect example of just such a film done right. Director Zach Braff of ‘Scrubs’ fame does a wonderful job guiding this enjoyable ride around each turn and it’s only complimented further by amusing performances from a number of truly spectacular actors led by Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin. If you’re exclusively looking for complex films with intricate storylines that will force your brain to work overtime, then this may not be the perfect movie for you. Although I would strongly suggest considering it for those that enjoy the talented leading cast members, the unique humor of director Zach Braff or just appreciate a flat out enjoyable and hilarious comedy that promises nothing but carefree fun and laughs and delivers precisely that on nearly every level.

Overall, ‘Going in Style’ is an easygoing and often hilarious comedy that may keep things grounded to a pretty basic formula and fails to offer anything new or overly exceptional in its execution, yet also somehow tends to benefit splendidly from just that which results in a fun little ride that doesn’t trouble the viewer with unnecessary worries or unbearable tension. It’s a relaxing, funny and just flat out enjoyable movie smoothly guided along by director Zach Braff and featuring three acting greats doing their thing and appearing to have as much fun with the experience as I did watching them. I would definitely recommend ‘Going in Style’ to the diehard fans of Braff, Freeman, Caine and/or Arkin, as well as to anyone that appreciates a simple, fun and carefree movie that allows itself to embrace its generic approach for ample fun. It should make a perfect selection for an evening movie night in the comfort of home that you can laugh and unwind to without any real effort being involved.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘Going in Style’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing the film’s original 2.40:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks pretty fantastic as a whole and provides a sharp, colorful and fairly clean presentation throughout. It holds up impressively aside from one or two moments of seemingly distorted activity around the top of the screen that are fortunately nearly unnoticeable unless you’re paying close attention (I had to rewind to be certain) and thankfully these brief instances don’t really affect the presentation in the larger scope. Overall, this is a pretty solid high definition video presentation that should have no trouble pleasing the majority of viewers.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack delivers a crisp, clean and at times fairly aggressive audio presentation from start to finish. It regularly takes advantage of all five available channels in order to send crowd and vehicle activity, along with a number of additional fitting auditory elements throughout the various speakers appropriate, and always making certain that any dialogue that might be occurring simultaneously remains clean and fully audible. Overall, this is a more than capable 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack that complements the film splendidly and adds some additional fun to the overall viewing experience.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘Going in Style’ includes a couple of worthwhile extras. Included on the release is an ‘Audio Commentary with Director Zach Braff’, in addition to a collection of ‘Deleted Scenes’ from the movie (running approximately 13 minutes altogether).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They additionally will suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

Film Rating: 7.5/10
Disc Rating: 7/10

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