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Mobster/con man from days gone by, Val (Al Pacino), is set free from 28 years in prison and greeted by life long friend and partner in crime, Doc (Christopher Walken). Although, Doc has actually been sent with orders to kill Val. Wrestling with the concept of killing one of his oldest friends, Doc opts to take Val out for one more wild night on the town. Along the way the two rescue their third wheel, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Out for a good time, the men/boys do what they do best, raising a ruckus and opting to “kick ass” instead of “chewing gum.” But as dawn comes, the gravity of Doc’s orders comes into view, to kill a friend or forever be on the run from boss, Claphands (Mark Margolis), perhaps there’s another option? Directed by Fisher Stevens and written by Noah Haidle Stand Up Guys is certainly aimed with the intention of fun, and it’s safe to say just watching Pacino, Walken, and Arkin in a room together without a script would be a treat in and of itself; but, all too often the screenplay feels like a poorly tailored suit for these three greats, relying on what feels like cliché dialogue and half baked character development. Plus direct pulls from other pop culture icons, Banksy and Tom Waits come to mind, leaves the originality of this one in question; a shame otherwise considering the sum of the parts. A solid rental for the fun of it, Stand Up Guys is rated R.

Following an outbreak of a zombie virus, R (Nicholas Hoult), a zombie with a strange and dapper sense of chic falls in love with Julie (Teresa Palmer), daughter of the crazed and zombie hating Grigio (John Malkovich). Confused and disturbed by the prospect, Julie doesn’t quite know what to make of the situation. Still, with the help of best friend, M (Rob Corddry), R eventually wins the heart of Julie, but who knew zombie love could be so complicated? How to convince Grigio to accept the fact that zombies have feelings too, and what about love in the hearts of the undead? Great things could come from all of this. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette takes on a new twist in this cleverly written romantic comedy from Director and Co-writer Jonathan Levine (50/50). Wry wit and just the right amount quirk make for plenty of playful pokes in the eye for zombie lovers. Hoult and Palmer carry their parts aptly, and of course, setting up John Malkovich to be a bit “unhinged” never fails, Corddry for further comedic relief is also appreciated. CGI involved isn’t anything to rave about but is easy enough to overlook. And, not to overstay its welcome, at 97 minutes of runtime we’re given just enough to be satiated. Warm Bodies is rated PG-13.