You would think that having guys like Cranston, Carell and Fishburne on screen together would result in one whooping good time, but their characters -- who don't feel completely dimensional or believable (a bizarre thing to have to say about a Linklater film) -- don't allow much room for that. Cranston delivers the most memorable performance of the lot, shining as the wildcard of the group and giving the film the majority of its vitality. A majority of the comedic moments stem from him and his wisecrack remarks, but some of the punches don't always land. Fishburne and Carell are the source of most the film's heart and humanity, but come off a bit constrained and at times sterile. All performances aren't terrible, but are far from the best from these three seasoned leading men.

Perhaps the strangest aspect of the film is that it's technically a sequel to Hal Ashby's 1973 film The Last Detail, both being adapted from the novels by Darryl Ponicsan (who also collaborated on the script with Linklater). Although, Linklater made the smart choice to change the character's names, allowing the film to function more as a standalone than a tried and true sequel. The Last Detail was nominated for several Academy Awards in '73, and while Linklater's film falls short from his previous achievements, it certainly is Oscar bait and may result in a few nominations.