Directed by: Ken Kwapis
Starring: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Mary Steenburgen & Emma Thompson
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Strapline: “When you push yourself to the edge, the real fun begins”
In a nutshell:
My thoughts:
Produced and starring Robert Redford, A Walk in the Woods sees the 79-year-old Hollywood legend return to the role of producer for the first time since 2012’s The Company You Keep. Released as a non-competitive film as part of Redford’s own Sundance Film Festival back in January of this year, A Walk in the Woods garnered mixed reviews from critics present.
I enjoyed A Walk in the Woods, a very funny comedy with great chemistry between its main stars. Both Redford and Nolte both have genuine comic timing and work well off each other. There is a good upbeat vibe throughout the film with some really funny moments, as a comedy it certainly succeeded.
Supporting Redford and Nolte is Emma Thompson as Redford’s wife who is, well, Emma Thompson, flawless at all she does. Mary Steenburgen also features but I was a little disappointed by the size of her role, boiling down to at best an extended cameo as a Motel owner who puts up the intrepid explorers en route.
![Walk in the Woods / Broad Green Pictures](https://bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/walk-in-the-woods-pic-1.jpg)
The movie has an upbeat vibe as these grumpy old men make their way through the unforgiving Appalachian Trail. A high proportion of the jokes are aimed at old age and many, if not all, land well. Nolte especially shines as the bitter Katz, a little more no holds barred than his slightly more restrained companion.
Another star of the movie is the scenery itself, certainly greener than Everest, but a sight for sore eyes all the same. Although a comedy, A Walk in the Woods has as sobering of a feel as this year’s Wild with Reese Witherspoon. I must also make a mention of the movies soundtrack, it’s great with the inclusion of a nice mix of songs.
![Walk in the Woods/ Broad Green Pictures](https://bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/walk-in-the-woods-pic-3.jpg)
Just like any movie, Walk in the Woods is not without its issues. Given its source material, and the fact it tells the story of two retired men on a hike, the film has a fairly meandering pace. This is okay, but as a movie it lacks any edge to it, it’s simply a well acted gentle movie. Meanwhile, Nick Nolte is quite hard to understand which takes away from the story. I think it’s fair to say that A Walk in the Woods will prove more popular with older audiences, due to the age of its main stars and the reason behind many of the jokes and set pieces.
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