Not every film has to be a classic.

“A Walk in the Woods,” directed by Ken Kwapis and starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, shows the age of everyone involved but still supplies a funny, thoughtful film. 

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There are movies that live and die on the charm of their casts. These movies sometimes fail at theme, storytelling or character work, but it does not matter. 

A “Walk in the Woods” is one of these films. The faces on the screen, and the chemistry they build, will swoop in and save the day from all of its problems.  

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Nolte and Redford are fantastic in this movie. The two have an amazing rapport that rescues “A Walk in the Woods” from being boring. Both show their acting chops, and can engage audiences like few others.

The actors are not playing complex characters. Nolte plays a drunken, old man — a role he has performed to perfection. Redford portrays a wisecracking, old writer, which is an easy role for him.

Both Nolte and Redford make the characters easily empathetic. Even if you are much younger than 60, you understand and care about what these two old men are going through.

However, the film fails at character development. These are individuals with depth, but because the movie goes the easy route, they come off as simple and static.

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At the beginning of this movie, Redford’s Bill Bryson wants to prove he still has youthfulness in him, and his age does not matter. Nolte’s Stephen Katz is a former alcoholic wanting to stay clean.

By the end, they are both at the same place with only a little developmental movement visible. This movie should have been more like “Into the Wild,” but with old people.

Stars: 3 out of 5