LAST VEGAS (12A, 105 mins) *** Starring Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco, Roger Bart, Bre Blair, Michael Ealy, Joanna Gleason, Mary Steenburgen. Director: Jon Turteltaub.

Cut from the same frayed cloth as The Hangover, Last Vegas is a raucous comedy about four sexagenarian friends, whose cosy existence unravels during a boozy stag weekend in the Nevada desert.

Underlying tensions bubble to the surface, marital secrets are finally aired and one of the pensionable posse stiffens his resolve when a buxom young thing willingly offers herself to him.

The four old-timers also deliver an array of snappy one-liners, so while the plot of Last Vegas might creak with familiarity, the film packs more big laughs into 105 minutes than The Hangover shoehorned into an entire trilogy.

The geriatric lechery is undercut with genuine sweetness, and there are some lovely exchanges between the lead actors as they confront years of regret and mortality against a gaudy backdrop of gambling machines, neon lights and rooftop roller-coasters.

The ringmaster of the tomfoolery is Billy (Douglas), who lost the love of his life to best friend Paddy (De Niro) and has been commitment-shy ever since.

On the spur of the moment, Billy proposes to his younger, trophy girlfriend Lisa (Blair).

“She’s 32,” Billy informs Archie (Freeman), who is resting in New England with his son Ezra (Ealy).

“I have a haemorrhoid that’s almost 32,” quips Archie, who agrees to join Billy and the rest of the gang for the stag party.

Last Vegas defies the odds and gambles on the star power of the cast and Fogelman’s heartfelt script to deliver an entertaining mix of laughter and tears.

Freeman and Kline demonstrate impeccable comic timing while Douglas and De Niro rebuild bridges with a deft touch that treats us and the characters with respect.

Admittedly there are a few missteps and the occasional whiff of sexism, but Turteltaub’s film has its pacemaker in the right place.