Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Last Stand Review - 2 Stars
Arnold Schwartznegger’s come back movie “The Last Stand” pays tribute to a generation of one man upholding the law in the old west style movies. Arnold plays a semi retired sheriff watching over a small Arizona border town. The plot thickens when Federal Agents transfer drug lord Edwardo Noriega from one prison to an even more secure one. He makes a daring getaway aided by a magnetic crane and a small army and takes down the highway in a rocket powered Corvette. (how’s that for a plot twist?) “Last Stand” combines fast cars, gun violence, drugs, and one man against the odds in surprisingly entertaining ways. Nice cast includes Johnny Knoxville and Luis Guzman for comic relief and the great Forest Whitaker as the agent in pursuit. Unfortunately Arnold and company fight the bad guys with an arsenal of guns including assault weapons which raises the “ouch” factor. Action director Jee-woon Kim directs with energy and bravado. I never expected much from Arnold back in the day and I prejudged this as a joke. My bad. Does it deliver what it promises? action packed action movie. Is it entertaining? No slow spots. Is it worth the price of admission? Maybe—if you can get past the “ouch factor violence.