The Last Stand (2013)

The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

Director:

Jee-woon Kim (as Kim Jee-woon)

Writer:

Andrew Knauer

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arron Shiver	...	State Trooper
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Ray Owens
Titos Menchaca	...	Mayor
Richard Dillard	...	Irv
Doug Jackson	...	Harry
Mathew Greer	...	Sam
Peter Stormare	...	Burrell
Chris Browning	...	Pony Tail
Christiana Leucas	...	Christie
Johnny Knoxville	...	Lewis Dinkum
Zach Gilford	...	Jerry Bailey
Luis Guzmán	...	Mike Figuerola
Rio Alexander	...	Faceburn
James Burnett	...	Poyo
David Midthunder	...	Cohan

Storyline

Sheriff Owens is a man who has resigned himself to a life of fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction after leaving his LAPD post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with failure and defeat after his partner was crippled. After a spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy, the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the hemisphere is hurtling toward the border at 200 mph in a specially outfitted car with a hostage and a fierce army of gang members. He is headed, it turns out, straight for Summerton Junction, where the whole of U.S. law enforcement will have their last opportunity to make a stand and intercept him before he slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately accepts responsibility for the face off.

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Plot Keywords:

modern western | deputy | sheriff | small town | sports car | 

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Taglines:

Retirarse es para los cobardes (Retiring is for the cowards)

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The FBI specialist states that the car has 1000bhp and they have no way to catch it, stating that no chopper is fast enough. The car in question does have 1000bhp but its top speed is 200MPH. A standard eurocopter can travel comfortably at 280MPH so an adapted FBI chopper would have no problem keeping up. Also nobody thought to use spikes on the road or even ask Mexico for assistance.

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Goofs

After being asked by the sheriff if he has a permit for the gun, Lewis Dinkum shows him a concealed weapons permit from the State of Arizona. Anyone over the age of 21 may carry a concealed weapon in Arizona, and the state does not issue permits.

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Quotes

[first lines]
State Trooper: [getting on the radio after being passed] Dispatch...
Dispatcher: Go ahead...
State Trooper: Contact the FAA and tell them some smart ass is flying a jet plane around out here without any lights.

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Alternate Versions

German theatrical version was cut by ca. 22 seconds to secure a more commercial "Not under 16" rating. After fan protests, the distributor made the uncut version available to theaters as well. Both versions were released on DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: The Last Stand/Mama (2013)

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Soundtracks

Angel From Heaven
Written and Performed by Paul Craig
Courtesy of Stankhouse Records
By arrangement with Ghost Town, Inc.

User Reviews

A bit mangled, but a decent enough return to film for Schwarzenegger

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Sheriff Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) oversees the law in the sleepy American town of Summerton, resigning to a quiet life after becoming fazed by the brutality of more hard line policing. But all that looks set to change when notorious drug lord Eduardo Noriega (Gabriel Cortez), who is scheduled for death row, breaks free from custody in Las Vegas and comes hurtling in a fast sports car towards Summerton to rendezvous with right hand man Burrell (Peter Stormare.) In a battle of odds with FBI Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker), who is hot on the trail of Noriega, Owens takes a stand with his deputies to stand firm and protect their little town.

After a ten year absence, during which it seemed unlikely he would ever return to acting, it's easy to appreciate the void Arnold Schwarzenegger left in the world of action cinema, and indeed cinema in general, and for sheer nostalgia to overwhelm your opinion of this new film of his. The Last Stand, unwittingly, could make you hark for his films of old and want to re live the sheer, unmistakable magic you could only get from an Arnold film all over again. Hell, the length could even make you forget that his last few films before he became 'the Governator' were of mediocre quality at best, or even make you think they weren't so bad after all. It is surprising, and certainly very nice, to see him back on the big screen again. And, while The Last Stand is certainly not without it's qualities, there are some big flaws that stop it from being a mesmerizing come back.

While he seems to have exhausted himself with his own self publicizing, with certainly a few TV/magazine interviews in the UK prior to the film's release, it's weird how little publicity the film itself seems to have received (I didn't even see a trailer before going to see it.) It's hailed as Arnie's big new come back, with him prominently headlined as the main star, but it's strange how little screen time the big man seems to occupy, especially in the first half. For a short while, it sort of becomes the Forest Whitaker show, as the big prison bus escape unfolds. Not a good thing, when you think he's already drowning in a sea of co stars, including Stormare, Luis Guzman and Johnny Knoxville as the town's resident, er, jackass.

He seems to have a slower, more gentle, considered presence here, his scenes giving the film the same feel one of Clint Eastwood's more modern films would have. Given his age, I think this is for the best, as the thought of him on wires or using stunt doubles wouldn't be very good. The main problem the film has is it seems unsure of it's tone, whether it wants to be a solid, compelling action drama or more like one of Arnold's more wackier, wise cracking earlier films. Rather than turning to more modern, flashy directors like Jee-Woon Kim, it would be interesting to see how Arnold himself might prove, directing one of his own films, in the style his old mate Clint does. ***

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Stand

Filming Locations:

Bosque Farms, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,281,433, 20 January 2013

Gross USA:

$12,050,299

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,330,757

Company Credits

Production Co:

Di Bonaventura Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1