Shortly after Arnold Schwarzenegger went from actor to politician, I longed for when he would come back around. I was raised on his films and I loved the idea of all these ‘80s and ‘90s action stars coming back to the big screen. After a few cameos in the last decade, Arnold returns with his latest action film, “The Last Stand.”
Schwarzenegger plays Ray Owens, a Los Angeles cop now living peacefully in a border town as Sheriff. Meanwhile, a drug cartel kingpin has escaped custody and is heading straight for Mexico in a souped-up Corvette. When the FBI fails to catch him or even slow him down, it’s up to Ray’s town and his skeleton crew of deputies to stop a fugitive.
Some will rag on “The Last Stand” for being something it isn’t. All Schwarzenegger classics have loads of violence and action, even if the story is a bit thin. The fans aren’t going to see Oscar-nominated performances; they just want a good time. And by that measure, the movie is a success.
I do feel that Arnold’s age, and to a greater extent the script, didn’t really live up to the height of his acting career. Though the film is better than his previous stinkers like “The Sixth Day,” it didn’t feel like he was all the way back. He is in so few of the action sequences it felt like he was taking it easy. Like his cameos in “The Expendables” franchise, I felt he wasn’t completely in it. Which is understandable given he’s spent most of the last decade running California. Though I enjoyed the movie and found it entertaining, I feel Arnold is going to need to step up to declare he is finally back. And hopefully this time, it’s for good. Still worth a watch. 3 out of 5 stars
Check your local listings for showtimes and theaters (click here)
Comments