Plot: Duke Diver (Morgan Freeman) doesn’t just reside the Villa Capri resort community, he is the kingpin and runs the entire operation. Of course, he has corporate bosses over him, but the residents are so thrilled to be part of the fun, that upper management rarely intrudes. He romances a trio of ladies, keeps the booze flowing, and hosts all kinds of special events, all to the delight of the residents. But his reign over the resort faces a new challenge, when Leo (Tommy Lee Jones) swaggers in as the latest new arrival. From the start, he clashes with Duke and the two engage in a constant effort to one up each other, especially when Suzie (Rene Russo) shows up. As it turns out, Suzie is from corporate and Duke’s methods, while popular with the residents, has thrown up a wealth of red flags with the executives. As he tries to balance those issues, his past also comes back to haunt him and it could have lethal consequences. Has Duke’s rule over Villa Capri come to an end, and will his exit from power be a permanent one?

Entertainment Value: This one has some big talent involved, with Ron Shelton writing and directing, then Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rene Russo in lead roles, but it fails to spark much of a comedic flame. The movie seems aimed at the nursing home crowd, without much to make it appeal to those outside that demographic, beyond a gifted cast. The narrative refuses to stay on track, going from raunchy old folks humor to a chest thumping rivalry to a goofy crime movie, but does little to tie these elements into a cohesive, let alone fun balance. Freeman is kind of fun as a sleaze, as we don’t often see him in these kind of roles, but it doesn’t last. He and Jones play off each other well, but this material doesn’t offer much of a chance to shine, just getting some minor laughs at times. But perhaps the humor lands better for the retirement home scene, so who knows. I wanted to like this one, but to me it feels more like an excuse to shoot at a resort and play golf, rather than make an effective movie. The film has some bright spots, but they’re infrequent and while it does offer a harmless, feel good kind of vibe, it just isn’t that fun to watch. So I could only recommend it to older audiences and super fans of the cast, but even then not a strong recommendation.

No nakedness. Duke is a ladies man who tries to bed any woman at the resort, but no geriatric sexual gymnastics in this one. There’s a couple explosions and scare gun shots, but no blood or graphic violence. The hitman/crime thread is poorly handled, with no real stakes and seems like a poor inclusion to be honest, derailing the movie when it begins to show a little life. The dialogue is passable, but the script is mediocre at best and doesn’t do enough to make good use of the talent involved. Freeman and Jones have some fun exchanges, but not the level of sharp banter you’d expect from two veterans with deep skillssets. Russo feels tacked on and does little aside from be a prize in the rivalry, while the supporting cast pops in to add some colorful touches, but again, seems wasted in most instances. I wanted some classic moments with Freeman and Jones, but the script just doesn’t seem interested. No real craziness in this one either, as the story might be lame and disjointed, but never feels all that wild.

Nudity: /10

Blood: 0/10

Dialogue: 1/10

Overall Insanity: 0/10

Use this Amazon link to purchase Just Getting Started (or anything else) and support my site!