In “Gran Torino,” Clint Eastwood plays a retired auto worker in Michigan who could literally stand in for his iconic character a quarter of a century later.

One night as part of a gang initiation, Thao the shy teenager next door, is told to steal Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino. All hell breaks loose when Walt catches the young boy in the act.

The key to everything is that beaut in the garage, a shiny ’72 Torino. Bookish teen Thao (Bee Vang), forced by a shady cousin and his gang, makes a weak attempt at stealing it.