GRAN TORINO (2008)

[The Burgomaster]

Not a great movie . . . but a good movie.

The trailers are somewhat misleading and make this look like a Clint Eastwood / tough guy / kick butt and take names movie about a tough old guy standing up to gang bangers in the Detroit area.  Well . . . it is that kind of movie . . . sort of . . . but it's really more of a character study.

I'll try to summarize this without revealing any SPOILERS (but if you really want to see this movie without knowing much about it, maybe you shouldn't read any further).

Clint plays a Korean War vet who can't hold meaningful relationships with his sons or their families.  A series of events lead him to assist his neighbor, an Asian teenager whose cousin is trying to recruit him into a gang.  Most of the story involves Clint's growing and changing relationship with his Asian neighbors . . . but there are a few scenes with Clint gritting his teeth and standing up to the local tough guys. 

If you are expecting DIRTY HARRY 2008 or DEATH WISH 10 you will be disappointed by this movie.  This is more like Clint Eastwood's version of HARRY AND TONTO . . . minus the cat . . . but plus a few firearms. 

[Mr. DS]

If you are expecting DIRTY HARRY 2008 or DEATH WISH 10 you will be disappointed by this movie.  

I have to thank you for this because this is what I was hoping it would be.  I'm gonig to avoid it like the plague now. 

[Torgo]

This one is on my ultra long "to see" list.  A couple of friends mine have seen it and said that while Clint's performance is excellent that the rest of the cast is kind of uneven.

[The Burgomaster]

A couple of friends mine have seen it and said that while Clint's performance is excellent that the rest of the cast is kind of uneven.

I agree with your friends.  Clint stands out among a cast of mostly middle-of-the-road actors.  And even Clint has a few too many scenes where there is a close-up of his face and he grits his teeth and snarls.  It was amusing the first and maybe second time, but after he did it about 5 times it started to get annoying.  But it's still a good movie.

[Javakoala]

If you are expecting DIRTY HARRY 2008 or DEATH WISH 10 you will be disappointed by this movie.  This is more like Clint Eastwood's version of HARRY AND TONTO . . . minus the cat . . . but plus a few firearms. 

Ooh, new high-concept film idea:  Terminator And Tonto, but the cat, you see, is a walking arsenal, and when the two of them aren't grumbling about the traffic, they're blowing up the cars and buildings.  Frolicking on the beach and sinking ships at sea.  Ah, beautiful, man!

Okay, well, I'd watch it....

[Torgo]

*** out of ****.

I agree that some of the other actors in the movie have some moments where they are kind of sub-par, but Clint truly carries this entire movie on his shoulders.   The movie is kind of bumpy during its 1st act but finally finds its groove in the 2nd act and from that point on it's smooth sailing.

[akiratubo]

I give Gran Torino 5 out of 4 stars.  It is excellent, damn near a perfect movie.  Frankly, I would have been disappointed if it had turned into something like Dirty Harry: Retiree.  The movie never seemed like it was leading up to that.

There is a stretch of about ten minutes that gets tedious, but everything else is spot-on.  Well cast, well written, well acted, well directed, well scored.  Like I said, 5 out of 4 stars.

[Bmeansgood]

A couple of friends mine have seen it and said that while Clint's performance is excellent that the rest of the cast is kind of uneven.

Doesn't this describe 90% of his movies?  Sondra Locke anyone?

[D-Man]

I loved this movie.  I thought it was even better than Million Dollar Baby, which to me was always a bit overrated. 

Clint Eastwood was splendid as usual, and I have no complaints about the rest of the cast.  You don't always need to surround the guy with big names like Hillary Swank or Morgan Freeman.  The cast were simply playing the parts of ordinary people in the world, which I think they did rather well, so I don't really understand the criticism there. 

I think the OP made another good point with how they're marketing this movie, and completely missing the point of it.  People are gonna go in expecting another cookie-cutter "Death Wish" type movie, and they're gonna be disappointed because of it.

[Neville]

Just seen it, and enjoyed every minute of it. It's not particularly great, but it's thoroughly entertaining, and it works nicely as a re-write of earlier Eastwood's films, like "Dirty Harry" or "Heartbreak Ridge", because Eastwood plays a similar type of character in his 70s. And of course he can't just solve things only by kicking ass anymore.

And yes, sometimes he overdoes the crusty old man so much you could believe he's gonna break the fourth wall. It's probably going to be his last acting, at least as the lead, and he seems to be enjoying it as much as he can.

And now... get off my lawn!   

[odinn7]

I saw this film last week. I am a big Eastwood fan so I felt that I should see it in the theaters. I went into it fooled by the advertising and expecting lots of gun violence and ass kicking. I have to say, when I started to realize this was not the true direction of the film, I started to feel disappointed. BUT....I sat there and watched...and I became engrossed in the film...and I wound up loving it.

[Torgo]

They're really advertising the movie wrong, but everyone I know who has seen it has had the same opinion that I did. The movie wound up going in a completely different direction than what I thought it was going to based on the ads/trailers.

[Terf]

I heard it was a "brilliant" movie, and really want to see it.

[Jim H]

Solid film.  I did quite enjoy it.  I agree that the first act is a little shaky, and some of the other actors are a little weak at times.  Still, it's a good film. 

I'd suggest not walking out as soon as the credits roll, as you get to hear Clint Eastwood sing.  That's gotta be worth something, right?