Gran Torino

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

The Skinny: Widowed Korean war veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is content to sit on his porch with his dog and do nothing all damn day. But when he saves the life of his Vietnamese neighbor, he finds himself becoming the boy's begrudging mentor and protector.

The Good: If this is, in fact, Clint's final acting bow, it's a fitting one. Walt carries the weight of past badassery around him exactly as Eastwood does, every crease and crack in that iconic face showing the wear and tear of a lifetime spent putting punks in their place. Gran Torino is a slow burn kind of a movie, but it builds to a climax that echoes the spaghetti westerns that gave Eastwood his start.

The Bad: The movie does a great job of hinting at Walt's crumbled personal life, but falters a bit when depicting his relationship with his quiet Vietnamese neighbor. Part of the problem is that the young kid just doesn't have the chops to be on screen with Eastwood and not be completely reduced to wallpaper.

Best Extra: Not much here, and the main two features focus mainly on cars. Take your pick. They're both serviceable, but not spectacular.

Buy, Rent, or Ignore: This is a solid bookend if you've built an Eastwood shrine. A highly recommended rental for everyone else.

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