The great action director Walter Hill creates another effective male milieu in this stylish American reworking of the story previously told in "Yojimbo" and "A Fistful of Dollars". The film certainly *looks* good, even if it's somewhat limited in its use of colour, and Ry Cooders' music score is typically flavourful and evocative. A low key Bruce Willis leads a dynamic cast of well chosen character actors. Hills' script, which he based on the screenplay for "Yojimbo" written by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima, is passable; the story here yields adequate entertainment without being particularly memorable.
This version is set in a small, small Texas town during the Prohibition era. Willis plays the role of "John Smith", a drifter who arrives in town to discover that there are two warring crime families dominating things. The Italian family is headed by Fredo Strozzi (Ned Eisenberg), the Irish one by Doyle (David Patrick Kelly). Seemingly a man without scruples, Smith figures that he will play both sides of the street in the name of self-interest. Not surprisingly, he finds his way of life ultimately compromised.
Willis is okay, but the people in supporting parts fare better. Christopher Walken has fun as a henchman with a pronounced raspy voice. Alexandra Powers does what she can with the most substantial female role in the picture, while Karina Lombard mostly just looks beautiful; Leslie Mann is fine in her brief time on screen. William Sanderson is endearing as bar owner Joe Monday; also appearing are Michael Imperioli, Ken Jenkins, R.D. Call, Ted Markland, Patrick Kilpatrick, Luis Contreras, Raynor Scheine, Tiny Ron, and Lin Shaye.
"Last Man Standing" is appreciably violent, if not that bloody. However, there's so much gunfire throughout the film that it all becomes a bit numbing. Also, Smith is able to blow so many damn bad guys to kingdom come that it actually comes as something of a relief when he takes his lumps at one point and we see he's human after all. The highlight for this viewer came at a little before the 80 minute mark when the intensity of the action reaches a peak.
Fans of the action genre will likely have a pretty good time with this one.
Seven out of 10.
This version is set in a small, small Texas town during the Prohibition era. Willis plays the role of "John Smith", a drifter who arrives in town to discover that there are two warring crime families dominating things. The Italian family is headed by Fredo Strozzi (Ned Eisenberg), the Irish one by Doyle (David Patrick Kelly). Seemingly a man without scruples, Smith figures that he will play both sides of the street in the name of self-interest. Not surprisingly, he finds his way of life ultimately compromised.
Willis is okay, but the people in supporting parts fare better. Christopher Walken has fun as a henchman with a pronounced raspy voice. Alexandra Powers does what she can with the most substantial female role in the picture, while Karina Lombard mostly just looks beautiful; Leslie Mann is fine in her brief time on screen. William Sanderson is endearing as bar owner Joe Monday; also appearing are Michael Imperioli, Ken Jenkins, R.D. Call, Ted Markland, Patrick Kilpatrick, Luis Contreras, Raynor Scheine, Tiny Ron, and Lin Shaye.
"Last Man Standing" is appreciably violent, if not that bloody. However, there's so much gunfire throughout the film that it all becomes a bit numbing. Also, Smith is able to blow so many damn bad guys to kingdom come that it actually comes as something of a relief when he takes his lumps at one point and we see he's human after all. The highlight for this viewer came at a little before the 80 minute mark when the intensity of the action reaches a peak.
Fans of the action genre will likely have a pretty good time with this one.
Seven out of 10.