The Last Stand
by Rebecca Hillary
Starring Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville and Rodrigo Santoro. Written by Andrew Knauer and Jeffrey Nachmanoff. Directed by Jee-woon Kim. Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Edward Fee, Miky Lee, Michael Paseornek, Hernany Perla, Linda Piangiani, Guy Riedel and John Sacchi.
The Last Stand is the quinessential post-Oscar season movie. Pulpy and over-the top, this film is everything that movie-goers want to see as a retreat from tears and tragedies. With little substance behind it and no real character development, we can concentrate on the top-quality action sequences and simplistic battle between good guys and bad guys.
In a role that flaunts his old age and Hollywood persona, Schwarzeneggar plays Ray Owens, the sheriff of a small town right outside Las Vegas who's ending his career in peace. All of that changes when a Mexican drug lord outsmarts the FBI and escapes his prison sentence. Heading for Mexico in a specialty Corvette desgined to go well over 200 mph without much sound or lights, he's been successful and recevied little real trouble from the police. When his people, who are building a bridge to Mexico right in the sheriff's town, start making trouble and harming the town's citizens, Ray takes care of the problem and gets prepared for his last stand to take down this villain.
Is it realistic? No, but what action movie is? Everything in this movie is intentionally campy and ridiculously over-the-top, from the dialogue to the shoot-outs. Knoxville makes an appearance as the village idiot (surprise) and adds to the band of misfits that make up the police force. And while the actors' performances are merely competent in that warm-body-on-a-screen sort of way, they are fit for this type of action movie. It's not a surprise that the film's focus is all in the stunts - the chase scenes are magnificent. If you love cars, you will love this movie - one scene involves two high performance Corvettes in a corn field. This film isn't treading any new ground on already well-tread territory (treads ... cars!), but it will ensure you a fun and entertaining two hours.
—Rebecca Hillary
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