The Last Stand (2013)

Jee-Woon Kim could not have asked for a bigger platform to make his Hollywood debut.  One of the biggest action stars that Hollywood has ever known – or for that matter will ever know - in his comeback movie has a Korean director to lead him through the motions of what turns out to be a very decent watch at the end of the day.

Sheriff Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has decided to pick up the small laid back town of Sommerton for his retirement plans.  Not really retirement.  But for someone who has spent over a decade with the LAPD and then in narcotics, being a Sheriff of a small town of about a 100 is nothing but retirement right?

 

Along with Owens, are his force of 3 – Mike Figuerola (Luis Guzmán), Jerry Bailey (Zach Gilford) and Sarah Torrance (Jaimie Alexander).  Now this sleepy town has never seen any action whatsoever.  It is a miracle that the guns haven’t rusted yet or that the Deputies know how to use one. 

 

So it definitely comes to the team as an unexpected and unpleasant surprise when they are told by Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) that he has messed up and lost one of the biggest criminals and drug lords in the US of A – Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega).  Cortez takes off from right under his nose thanks to some lousy FBI work.

 

What Cortez doesn’t realize is that standing in his way – just a mile or 2 away from his destination is one of the stubbornest men he would have ever met in his life.  That he is built like a wall and is twice Cortez’s size is on the beginning of his worries.  Get ready for some kick as Arnold Schwarzenegger action.

 

The disappointing part about The Last Stand is that you have to wait – almost forever – for the action to start.  Jee-Won Kim takes ages to come the moot point of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie – pure action from the word go.  The only excitement you have at the beginning is an escape sequence that seems a little too plastic.

 

Thankfully, Kim recovers ably when the actual showdown @ Sommerton begins.  Arnold may have turned 65 recently – and he looks 65 – but that doesn’t stop him from giving us some of his classic dialogues and some really solid action.  Only one warning – sometimes the action gets a bit too funny.  But overall worth a watch.  6 on 10.

 

Trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2247337753/