The Last Stand (Review)
United States/2013
Netflix Streaming: No
Amazon Prime: No
Small-town
Sheriff Ray (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enjoying his day off, although
he briefly investigates two suspicious truckers thinking little of it.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), a notorious drug lord,
daringly escapes from the FBI in Las Vegas in a modified Chevrolet
Corvette C6 ZR1 - traveling at incredible speeds as he aims for Mexico.
Sheriff Ray enlists his few deputies and deputizes two more for his last
stand.
The Last Stand features a simple yet exciting story
masterfully blending strong action sequences and light comedy elements.
The action is really the strongest element in the film, and it is very,
very powerful. The Last Stand consistently offers edge-of-your-seat
chase scenes, blazingly explosive firefights, and a great fistfight
scene; and, it seamlessly blends in a few witty one-liners, some
hilarious situations, and an eccentrically humorous performance from
Johnny Knoxville. The pacing is ferociously fast, something is always
going on in this film. It does, however, overstay its welcome by a few
minutes and is a bit repetitive - luckily, it ended before this became a
serious issue.
The story itself is creative, and I enjoy the
concept of a last stand; simply watching the sheriff and his deputies
prepare was entertaining, and the execution of their plan was the
cherry-on-top - it was explosive and ridiculously violent. The
characters have some background and are very likable, and there is one
scene works exceptionally in jerking your emotions - it was actually
unexpected, but welcomed. The ending of the film is great, it has an
intense chase scene, a small game of cat-and-mouse, and surprisingly
thrilling fight scene. Finally, Gabriel Cortez is a great villain, a
power-hungry drug who has it all and believes he is untouchable; he is a
bit underwhelming at times, though, as he is a bit too tamed.
The
acting is great from the entire cast. Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be
in his prime physically, but he delivers with his one-liners and his
charisma; consider this promising performance, a bit more time to get
readjusted and he'll be back in tiptop shape. Forrest Whitaker also
delivers his dialogue very fluently and realistically, I enjoyed his
performance. Johnny Knoxville plays a minor role, just enough to be
enjoyable without overstaying his welcome. Really, the entire cast
delivers in this film with their likable and believable performances.
South
Korean director Kim Ji-woon smoothly directs The Last Stand, continuing
his promising career as one of the best; this film sort of reminds me
of Mr. Kim's fantastic film, The Good, The Bad, and The Weird. The
cinematography is great, everything on screen really comes together. The
music compliments the film's story and setting well, really adding to
the film's atmosphere and tone. The action sequences are superbly shot
and choreographed. The Last Stand is a technically fantastic film.
Overall,
The Last Stand is an insanely entertaining film from start to finish.
The amazing action and effective comedy really compliment each other,
and the film fires on all cylinders always pushing forward. As far as
entertainment goes, The Last Stand delivers tenfold. I highly recommend a
purchase for fans of the genre, a rental otherwise.
Score: 9/10
Parental Guide: Strong violence and gore.
No comments:
Post a Comment