THE LAST STAND from Lionsgate (di Bonaventura Films) opens Jan. 18, 2013. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville, Forest Whitaker, Zach Gilford, Harry Dean Stanton, Luis Guzman and Peter Stormare.
It's been a while since former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has starred in a feature film. It was 2003 with the release of "Terminator: Rise of the Machines" opposite Kristanna Loken. He's also had two cameo appearances in Sly Stallone's "The Expendables" and "Expendables 2". Now, he's officially back in a hard-hitting action thriller as a former L.A.P.D. cop turned sheriff of a small border town. He is the last obstacle standing between freedom in Mexico and a notorious drug kingpin who has escaped from an FBI convoy.
This film is the English-language debut of director Kim Ji-woon ("I Saw The Devil"; "The Good, The Bad, The Weird"). Ji-woon, from South Korea, began his career directing theater but has developed his skills in cinema. He is heavily into stylization of detail in his films which extends to their release of DVD.
There are many reasons to anticipate this film but, honestly, Arnold is the only reason that matters. He's never been a great actor but he's always been a great action figure. He has an appeal on many levels and his hardcore fans came to trust him to deliver solid performances with lots of violence, death and destruction.
His rise to said stature came with his 1984 appearance in James Cameron's "Terminator". It co-starred Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton and left a lasting impression on fans of the action/science fiction genre. Since that time, most of his films have been high-grossing successful releases but some have also been massive clunkers. The once consistent statement is that Arnold has always been fearless in his role selection.
One of the most unfortunate things to happen was the release of Arnold's comic spoof "Last Action Hero" opposite "Jurassic Park". That film got lost in the wave of excitement caused by Spielberg's superb saga and wonderfully life-like dinosaurs.
Obviously, not everyone is a fan of the former governor but many are curious to see if he can reinvent his acting career post-politics. This film will answer some questions but Arnold has made it known that he wants to return to the "Terminator" series. He probably will and the series that made him will either remake him or break him.
Comments