Review: Senior Moment

“Captain on the Bridge!”  William Shatner turns 90 years old mere days before ‘Senior Moment’ opens.  As a life-long Star Trek fan, it’s pure joy to STILL write a review for a new movie starring the Captain Kirk actor.  

The man once known for Trekking across the galaxy and romancing green women, is now speeding across Palm Springs and romancing models in bikinis.  Great to see not much has changed, even as a Nonagenarian.

The Plot

William Shatner stars as retired NASA Test Pilot, Victor Martin, who still loves travelling at great speeds across Palm Springs, even in retirement.  Victor’s lifelong friend Sal Spinelli, played by Back To The Future star Christopher Lloyd, joins him in his 1955 Porsche convertible.

While speeding around town, Victor pulls up next to a tricked out car with hydraulics.  Victor and the driver, Pablo Torres, played by Carlos Miranda, trash talk back and forth and decide to race.

However, Pablo doesn’t move.  Victor quickly gets pulled over by Police, who know him all too well.  He may be retired, but Victor still has the charm and gravitas of the Captain of the Enterprise, and soon talks his way out of a ticket.

The next day, Victor and Sal hire a model to take pictures with them and the car.  The model, played by Katrina Bowden, openly enjoys their company during the photoshoot, and joins them for a few drinks later at a bar.  As Victor leaves the bar, he runs into Pablo again, and this time, they race for real.

This time, Victor nearly runs over several people on a restaurant patio, and has his license taken away.  His Porsche impounded, Victor seemingly must live life in the slow lane for a while…

The Good – Senior Moment

Senior Moment was shot four years ago, in April and May of 2017, when William Shatner had just turned 86.  Shatner’s vitality and love of life always rings true to the center of his core.  While Senior Moment is clearly a Comedy; it does address some serious topics facing senior citizens.  The ability of seniors to stay independent versus the public’s right to safety on the roads hangs in the background of this film. 

In the patrol officer’s tolerance for Victor and the patience of the court hearing his case, you see the leeway our character receives; even though he insists he is only 72.  Also, we also see the targeting of senior citizens with Rock Kendall charging Victor $800 to get his driver’s license back. 

As we go through the second act, Victor must get used to riding the bus and walking through his neighborhood on foot.  Also, Victor shows romantic interest in a much older woman than Katrina Bowden.  Victor wanders into a restaurant and samples Caroline Summer’s pie, played by Jean Smart.

Victor and Sal repair Caroline’s Coocoo clock, bid on her art at a charity auction, and speed her around a racetrack during a date.  By the time we get to the third act, Victor and Caroline’s romance has fully bloomed.  Of course, this does not last long.

The Bad

There were some audio issues, especially with the lav mics on the actors themselves.  Given how low budget this movie is, I’m not entirely surprised.  However, it does not detract from the film much.

The Review – Senior Moments

Overall, Senior Moment is a straight ahead comedy with just the right amount of fun and rebellion to William Shatner’s Victor.

William Shatner, Christopher Lloyd, Esai Morales, and Jean Smart do a great job representing the senior citizen community of Palm Springs.  While Katrina Bowden and Carlos Miranda do a great job representing the tolerant over-30 crowd.

There aren’t a ton of stakes to the film, other than Victor maintaining the independence he spent a lifetime building; and nearly lost because of his own hubris.  The Comedy doesn’t have you rolling in the aisles, but falls into the fun the William Shatner brings to any project.

If you’re a huge William Shatner fan, and enjoy low budget indie films; check out Senior Moment for a fun ride.

92 minutes.  Comedy, Drama, Romance.

Additional Information

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6588950