Arnold Schwarzenegger is headlining an action film for the
first time since Terminator 3: Rise of
the Machines, which was released in theaters in July 2003. After serving as
governor of California for eight years, some question his ability to carry an
action film. He’s pushing retirement age and had a desk job for a decade. Will
he be able to lead an action film again?
Based on The Last
Stand, the new film in which he stars alongside Johnny Knoxville, Luis Guzmรกn,
and Jaimie Alexander, the answer is – kinda.
Schwarzenegger picked a tame film for his return. The Last Stand is an action film only
because it can’t really be classified as a comedy, drama, or any other genre.
It’s got a few gun battles, a prison breakout, and some fisticuffs, so I guess it
qualifies as action. But, you’ll see more action, comedy, and drama in films
like 21 Jump Street and 30 Minutes or Less. Arnold isn’t asked
to do much in this one, and when he does, it’s clear that he will have to shake
off some rust to get back to action superstar form.
Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), a ruthless drug lord,
escapes a high security prison and makes a run for Mexico. He’s piloting a
prototype Corvette that can run 250+ mph in the dark with its lights out, and
he’s outrunning the Feds. He’ll get away unless a small town
sheriff and a handful of locals stop him before he crosses the border.
Schwarzenegger plays Ray Owens, the sheriff of Sommerton
Junction who moved to the quiet crossroads town from LA after a drug bust gone
bad. His peaceful life is shaken when Cortez and his professionally trained and
heavily armed henchmen come blasting through town. Owens, his deputies, and a
few locals he deputizes prepare for a standoff with the cartel and then unload
everything they have to stop the drug leader from getting into Mexico.
The action is passable but not spectacular. Car chases,
shootouts, explosions, fistfights. They are all in the film, but good luck
trying to remember any cool scenes when you leave the theater. The Last Stand is too tame and
predictable to be really enjoyable.
The most interesting character in The Last Stand isn’t Schwarzenegger’s. It’s Johnny Knoxville who
plays eccentric local Lewis Dinkum. Actually, eccentric is maybe too light a
word to describe Dinkum. He’s absolutely insane. I imagine that The Last Stand director Jee-woon Kim,
making his first Hollywood film after building a successful career in Korea,
told Knoxville to go nuts. How else would you explain Knoxville running around
with an iron shield and Conquistador helmet while firing a hand-cannon pistol? His manic energy and utter insanity bring a little life to the film.
The Last Stand could
have used more zaniness like Dinkum. Everyone else in the film, Schwarzenegger
included, are flat, one-dimensional characters. The action is bland, and the
story is basic. While it is good to see Schwarzenegger back on screen, it’s
clear that he has a lot of work to do if he wants to be an action star again.
By making his return in light fluff like The
Last Stand, maybe he can work out the kinks and remember what it means to
be Arnold Schwarzenegger again. He’s already talking about starring in new entries in the Conan the Barbarian and
Terminator franchises, so he’ll have to bring his A game soon enough.
2.0 out of 5 Stars
Are you excited to see Arnold back on screen? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!
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