Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) is a grumpy Korean war veteran that lives in the same home he has for virtually his whole adult life. As he pushes away his own family, who want to see him in a retirement home, he unexpectedly and rather awkwardly befriends a Hmong family next door after their son Thao tries to steal Walt's prized 1972 Gran Torino as an initiation task for a local gang. Scaring off the gang-bangers with his ex-military M1 Garand rifle, Walt is hailed a hero by the neighbourhood. He discovers that Thao was being forced into the gang against his will and that Thao's sister Sue has gang troubles of her own, which sparks him to "clean up the neighbourhood" as best an ageing Clint Eastwood can.

Gran Torino is another fine directorial effort from Clint Eastwood, and is likely to have the broadest appeal of anything he has done for some time (his recent war films included) as this is back to archetypal Eastwood stuff. Mixing some solid drama with his trademark tough-guy action, Gran Torino proves that family drama need not be boring. This is an unexpected gem from an actor/director who continues to surprise in his latter years.