This weekend two of Hollywood’s most respected, awarded, and beloved actors team up in a cat and mouse crime movie. So why isn’t anyone excited about Righteous Kill? Because it’s Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, past their prime and much too old to be taken seriously as bad ass, take no prisoner cops.

Their careers have taken a nose dive in recent years, in part perhaps because neither of them seems willing to look old. But old they are, and no matter how many leather jackets he wears Al Pacino can’t escape the fact that he looks like your grandpa… or in the wrong kind of light let’s face it… maybe even your grandma. If Al and Bob are going to keep on acting, they need to change the way they think about their careers. There’s a way to grow old gracefully on screen, and they need to find it fast, because Righteous Kill isn’t it.

With that in mind, we here at Cinema Blend have put our heads together to come up with a few suggestions for them. It’s time Pacino and De Niro started thinking outside the box, and taking on roles that in the past, they might never have considered. Guys, if you’re going to keep acting, then stop embarrassing yourselves and grow old gracefully by enacting a few of these suggestions:

Acknowledge That You’re Aging: And by this, I don’t mean a single throwaway line in your latest cop movie where you moan about how long you’ve been on the force before taking Carla Gugino into the evidence room, ripping her clothes off, and doing her doggie-style. I’m talking about facing up to creaking joints, aching muscles, increasing impotence; I’m talking about facing up to the looming specter of death. I’m talking about Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt or Peter O’Toole lurching his way to the grave while hitting on teenagers in Venus. You’re old, let’s fucking deal with it men.

Prepare The Next Generation: Start playing mentor figures. Pacino, you’ve done a little of this before. Time to get serious about doing, and approach it from the old man teaches young man the ways of the world perspective. De Niro, find some kid and shout at him until he does what you want. You’re in your retirement years. Buy a Winnebago, wear white shoes and high pants, wander across the country delivering your worldly wisdom to the kids. Ok, you can do it at the point of a gun if you really want.

Transition From Crazy To Cranky: De Niro, you know what I’m talking about here. You’ve already done it in Meet the Parents. Go back to it. The thing is, you’re both great when it comes to playing intimidating crazies. Unfortunately at your age crazy ceases to be scary and becomes well… sad. Quit it with the psycho characters. It’s just not going to work anymore. Old people know they aren’t scary, that’s why they get cranky. Channel all of that pent up crazy into playing cranky and eccentric. Yell at Ben Stiller some more, run around the house threatening young hooligans by shaking your fist at them. It’s just as fun as playing crazy, but your wrinkly ass won’t look as pathetic doing it.

When In Doubt, Call Wilford Brimley: I’m not saying you need to get your face on a box of oatmeal or anything, but Wilford’s been playing old farts since he was in his fifties He may not have long left on this Earth, but while he’s here you might as well give him a ring and pick his brain. Nobody knows more about acting with wrinkles. I suspect one of the keys may be growing a mustache. It hides some of the facial sagginess. Ask him, he’ll know what to do.