Rated
R (Strong Bloody Violence Throughout, and Language)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 47 Minutes
Cast-
Arnold
Schwarzenegger-Sheriff Ray Owens
Jaimie
Alexander-Deputy Sarah Torrance
Luis
Guzmán-Deputy Mike Figuerola
Rodrigo
Santoro-Deputy Frank Martinez
Zach
Gilford-Deputy Jerry Bailey
Johnny
Knoxville-Lewis Dinkum
Eduardo
Noriega-Gabriel Cortez
Peter
Stormare-Burrell
Forest
Whitaker-FBI Agent John Bannister
Genesis
Rodriguez-FBI Agent Ellen Richards
Daniel
Henney-FBI Agent Phil Hayes
Christiana
Leucas-Christie
Directed
by Kim Jee-Woon
 |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger is the sheriff in "The Last Stand" as the actor returns to the big screen after a ten-year absence. |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, January 16, 2013, at Clearview Chelsea.
Arnold
Schwarzenegger said he would be back and despite a ten-year absence, he's kept
his promise, returning to the big screen with his latest film, "The Last
Stand." Born in the small village of Thal, Austria in 1947, Schwarzenegger
came to the United States in 1968 at the age of 21, speaking little English yet
through hard work and perseverance, he managed to not only became one of
Hollywood's biggest action stars but also stand as a shining example of the
American Dream. I have been a die-hard (no pun intended) fan of Arnold for as
long as I can remember and the thought of seeing him on movie screens again
left me positively ecstatic. Aside from a few cameos, "The Last Stand"
is Schwarzenegger's first major role since 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of
the Machines," released shortly before he announced his candidacy in the
recall election for Governor of California, and also marks the American debut
of South Korean director Kim Jee-Woon. Woon is well-known among his fans for
tackling a wide range of genres, from psychological horror to thrillers but the
January release date did not inspire much confidence considering the month's
notorious reputation for being a dumping ground for Hollywood's stinkers. By
all accounts, "The Last Stand" is an unremarkable action film yet
it's so unapologetically entertaining, offering up plenty of exciting
set-pieces but the real joy comes from seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger doing what
he does best—killing bad guys with big guns while spouting memorable
one-liners.
A former officer of the LAPD's narcotics division, Ray Owens
(Arnold Schwarzenegger) resigned after a grisly drug bust left him the sole
survivor. Retiring to the sleepy border town of Sommerton Junction, Arizona,
Ray now spends his days keeping the peace as the town sheriff, content with leading
a quieter life. Meanwhile, notorious Mexican drug kingpin Gabriel Cortez
(Eduardo Noriega) narrowly escapes from the FBI during a prison transfer in Las
Vegas. As John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) and his fellow agents furiously work
to recapture him, Cortez rushes toward the U.S.-Mexican border in a
heavily-modified Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 with a hostage (Genesis Rodriguez)
in tow. It turns out that he's headed straight for Sommerton Junction, where
Cortez's associate Burrell (Peter Stormare) awaits him. Ray is initially
reluctant to get involved but when one of his fellow officers (Zach Gilford) is
killed in a vicious shootout with Burrell's men, he decides to avenge him by
locking down the town and enlisting his deputies, Sarah Torrance (Jaimie Alexander),
Mike Figuerola (Luis Guzmán), and Frank Martinez (Rodrigo Santoro), in stopping
Cortez with the help of local gun nut Lewis Dinkum (Johnny Knoxville).
Campy
and formulaic, "The Last Stand" succeeds thanks to its B-grade action
movie charms and is honestly a refreshing change of pace given all the serious
Oscar-fare that was recently released. The script from Andrew Knauer is largely
inconsequential in regards to the development of its characters. No, this is a
film about blowing stuff up but Woon makes the audience wait for the
explosions, taking its time establishing just how dangerous Cortez is as he
commands his henchmen to ram a police blockade and later pulls off a series of
dangerous stunts behind the wheel in order to shake off his pursuers. While FBI
Agent John Bannister screams and yells at his men to do their job, Sheriff Ray
Owens is investigating Burrell, suspicious that he's up to no good. It leads to
some uneven pacing as the film jumps between these three men yet Woon manages
to keep the momentum going. The first major action scene occurs when two of
Owens' deputies come upon Burrell and his men out in the desert. A shootout takes
place and just when the situation seems hopeless, Arnold swoops in to save the
day. It's certainly a crowd-pleasing moment and not long after, the film
completely lets loose with one exciting set-piece after another. Ray guns down
Burrell's men with a World War II-era chain gun and the action just escalates
from there until it culminates in a final confrontation between the world-weary
sheriff and Cortez. The two go at it with nothing but their fists in a thrilling
brawl that's worth the price of admission alone. It's also a funny film to boot
as Woon engages in a few sight gags yet what makes "The Last Stand"
so damn entertaining is that it whole-heartedly embraces its action movie
clichés with its head held high. That's something to be admired considering
that most films of its ilk try too hard to be serious and forget how to have
fun.
Of course, the film wouldn't have worked if Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't
playing the lead role. The larger-than-life actor is aware that he's not in his
prime anymore, allowing the screenplay to poke fun at his age as Ray Owens puts
on a pair of glasses while inspecting a crime scene or wearily remarking that
he is 'old' as he slowly gets up after being thrown through a window.
Schwarzenegger was never known for giving Oscar-caliber performances but makes
up for it through sheer charisma and his imposing screen presence, none of
which have diminished despite a ten-year absence in politics. It's hard not to
applaud when he blows out a thug's brains with a pistol before proclaiming, 'I'm
the sheriff!' Schwarzenegger is aided
by a solid supporting cast, with Luis Guzmán and Johnny Knoxville providing
comic relief while the more dramatic heavy lifting is left to Jaimie Alexander,
Rodrigo Santoro, and an earnest Zach Gilford. Forest Whitaker is largely wasted
as the frustrated FBI agent chasing Cortez, with Peter Stormare hamming it up
as the drug lord's accomplice. As the central villain, Eduardo Noriega is stuck
behind the wheel of car with Genesis Rodriguez (not exactly a terrible
prospect) for much of the film's running time. He gets his moment to shine…by
being pummeled and body-slammed by a man twice his age!
Released on January 18,
2013, "The Last Stand" has received mixed reviews with 55% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'there's nothing particularly distinguished about
it, but for Schwarzenegger fans [the film] provides perfectly undemanding
entertainment.' Audience reaction during the advance screening this past
Wednesday was enthusiastic yet this hasn't translated into even a modest box
office success as it's estimated to earn only $11.4 million over the Martin
Luther King, Jr. weekend. Part of the problem has been Lionsgate's weak
marketing campaign but the bigger issue is that today's teenage audience didn't
grow up watching Schwarzenegger films so they have little to no idea of who he
is. With ten or more projects in various stages of development, it seems like
box office is the least of Schwarzenegger's concerns. "The Last
Stand" could've been another mediocre January release yet it manages to be
a fun throwback to the action films of yesteryear thanks to Kim Jee-Woon's
confident direction and Arnold Schwarzenegger's larger-than-life presence.
Schwarzenegger is back and in the words of HitFix's Drew McWeeny, 'that is good
news indeed.'
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"I've seen enough blood and death. I know what's coming."
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