Review of The Last Stand (2013) by Quincytheodore — 06 Feb 2013

Apparently the cast of The Expendables are moonlighting for different roles, respectively. Arnold Schwarzenegger took the role of an old, as he said so himself, sheriff of a small town near the border of Mexico and USA. As far as action flick goes, The Last Stand will not disappoint, despite the cheesy lines and some acting flaws. Fist-to-fist brawls, gun fights in the middle of a street, and wild chase scenes contribute in overshadowing what shortcomings it may have.

A fugitive has eluded FBI when he was about to be transferred to another prison. Using trickery, his mercenary team and a sweet ride that could easily be featured in Fast and Furious, he dashed for the border. As we all know from previous dozens action movies, fleeing to Mexico is equivalent of a jail free ticket. Unfortunately this little town, which has Arnold as its sheriff, stands between him and complete freedom.

Honestly, whenever Arnold appears and tries to act, there's a lingering feel of awkwardness as if it'd be unintentionally comedic, although some scenes provide comedic relief at his own expense. However, his name still carries some weight, and I'm sure everyone has certain expectation when watching his movies. He puts decent performance, instead of putting air, he's showed as a weary battle-sicken man, but still a man who will hold his ground, with several questionable characters as his deputies.

The movie doesn't owe the fun thrill to Arnold alone, the pace is well structured, time frame is nicely done, and the others compliment the humor as well. Johnny Knoxville as Lewis Dinkum is admittedly downright ridiculous, he owns a museum of highly destructive weapons for plot convenient purpose. He also has perhaps the most notable shabby acting, the clown, if you will, thought he might induce some chuckles.

Forrest Whittaker as John Bannister, the FBI agent in lead of the operation is adequate, considering he has acting mettle more than the rest. Peter Stomare as the slightly psychopathic accomplice does just that, a slightly psychopathic second villain. The rest are bundles of misfits, mandatory hot chicks, and agents who will eventually come just in time to miss the action. Direction and choreography are well thought-out, divided in a focused pace while clever camera angles capture the action quite amazingly. The Last Stand has hackneyed acting and lines, has plenty of quirkiness, but serves its bullet-whistling and car-chasing fun like it's supposed to and quite entertainingly in that regard.