“A Walk in the Woods” premiers at Sundance

Last Friday was the premier of “Walk in the Woods” starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte based on Bill Bryson’s book. Here are some of the reviews:

Daniel Fienberg, Hitfix:

“Surely there’s an audience out there in the world for ‘Grumpy Old Outdoorsmen,’ even if Robert Redford & Nick Nolte are no Matthau & Lemmon. But there’s absolutely no way to shake the certainty that were one of its stars not the Founder & Grand Poobah of The Festival, Sundance never would have glanced in the direction of a film as mediocre as ‘A Walk in the Woods.'”

Brian Moylan, The Guardian:
“Most of these episodes are far too low-stakes to carry a movie and the bigger picture, about two men past their prime trying to figure out what to do in their dotage, is handled far too simply to have real impact. The result is something that is just fine. It’s pleasant enough to watch, but by no means riveting or revolutionary.”

Dennis Harvey, Variety:
“There’s light diversion but little substance in this tale of two grumpy old men making a predictable hash of their effort to hike the Appalachian Trail. The appeal of the cast names and the equally venerable scenic vistas should lure older audiences, though whether they’ll get out to theaters or wait for home-format delivery is an open question.”

Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter:
“Rather like a fun, geriatric version of ‘Wild,’ this long-aborning film version of Bill Bryson’s enormously genial 1998 book ‘A Walk in the Woods’ is a jolly good time, sparking dozens of chuckles and a few strong laughs. Nothing special cinematically, it still provides a welcome showcase for wonderful star turns by Robert Redford, who also produced, and Nick Nolte.”