THE LAST STAND (15, 107 mins)
***
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman, Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford, Genesis Rodriguez. Director: Kim Jee-woon.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t joking when he growled: “I’ll be back.”
Having served two terms as governor of California, which necessitated a ten-year hiatus from headline roles on the big screen, the professional bodybuilder-turned-actor returns with a vengeance in this testosterone-fuelled action thriller.
Like Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, Schwarzenegger is acutely aware of his physical limitations as a 65-year-old action man and happily pokes fun at his pensioner status.
He plays Ray Owens, sheriff of the sleepy town of Sommerton Junction, which nestles on the US-Mexico border.
Ray is looking forward to a day off, leaving his three deputies – Sarah Torrance (Alexander), Jerry Bailey (Gilford) and Mike Figuerola (Guzman) – in charge.
Alas, news filters through that notorious drugs kingpin Gabriel Cortez (Noriega) has escaped FBI custody and is heading south in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with Agent Ellen Richards (Rodriguez) as a hostage.
While Bannister and his team race to Sommerton Junction, Ray rallies his troops to form a human barricade against the bad guys.
Luckily, the town has a gun museum run by oddball Lewis Dinkum (Knoxville), who just happens to have the firing mechanisms for his declassified arsenal.
The Last Stand is a rollicking romp enlivened with hyperkinetic direction. Frenetic action sequences are orchestrated with aplomb and wry humour, including a protracted chase through a cornfield.
Arnie is back – and with several films in the pipeline, including new instalments of Terminator and Conan, plus a sequel to Twins co-starring Danny DeVito.
The Austrian Oak has a very long way to go before he is felled.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article