The Last Boy Scout

Tony Scott's The Last Boy Scout arrived at a time when the macho action thrillers popularised in the 1980's were starting to die out. This, combined with its odd Christmas-time release, meant that the film would go on to underwhelm at the box-office, although it would prove a hit in the rental market and reignite Bruce Willis' action career after the failure of Hudson Hawk. It also took a beating from critics, many voicing their displeasure at the foul-mouthed dialogue and particularly brutal violence. It's a shame really, as looking back, The Last Boy Scout really represents the pinnacle of this overly masculine sub-genre, even though it arrived at a time when audiences were growing tired with it. Yes, it's preposterous, crude and slightly misogynistic, but it's also funny, clever and features screenwriter Shane Black at his most quotable best.

The movie begins with making a mockery of American Football's televised musical intros, before diving right into the thick of the action on a particularly dark and rainy night. Running back Billy Cole (Tae Bo guru Billy Blanks) is having a great night on the field before outside pressures and a hit of PCP lead him to shoot up half of the opposition before turning the gun on himself. Deadbeat private investigator Joe Hallenback (Bruce Willis) is acting as a bodyguard for young stripper Cory (Halle Berry), whilst dealing with his own marital problems in a cheating wife and brat daughter. When Cory is killed, her boyfriend - disgraced former quarterback Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans) - finds himself reluctantly buddying up with Joe to slowly unravel a conspiracy that may expose corruption on a massive scale, and offer an explanation for Billy Cole's mysterious suicide. Their snooping isn't appreciated however, and they soon find themselves the target of a criminal gang desperate to cover their tracks and see their plan through to the end.

The Last Boy Scout was famously dogged by production problems, where producer Joel Silver was often cited as the cause of it all. Silver and Willis allegedly took over production, forcing Scott to film scenes he didn't approve of and altering Black's script so much that the finally story barely resembled his original idea. Scott would take revenge in his next film True Romance, where the role of a controlling, cocaine-fuelled producer was modelled on Silver. On top of everything else, Willis and Wayans hated each other. Impressively, these troubles somehow can't be seen in the final product. The chemistry between the two leads is one of the movie's strongest suits, and the plot unravels coherently with more car chases and shoot-outs than you could ever hope for. Scott shoots the film with a glossy commercial aesthetic that works well in the context of the tacky world the film is looking to expose. But the real winner here was Black, who pocketed a cool $1.75 million for his efforts after suffering a setback in his personal life. Despite the changes, this still has the writer's fingerprints all over it, even eclipsing what is undoubtedly his most popular work, Lethal Weapon. They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

Back in 1991 there was still only one way that studios could sell Bruce Willis and that was as various incarnations of his Die Hard hero. Even Eddie (Hudson) Hawkins had similarities to John McClane. Joe Hallenback is a sort of mix between McClane and Snake Plissken. Watching him mumble and grunt thru various near-deaths and close shaves makes for much fun.

Hallenback is a P.I. and scrounges for work wherever he can find it. So he takes up a job protecting a stripper named Cory and soon finds himself in a lot of trouble. Bad guys are trying to get him left right and centre and his bratty 13-year-old daughter tagging along doesn't help much. The bad guys are truly evil and Hallenback seems more like an anti-hero. This adds to the rough nature of the movie and heightens the sense of adventure.

Tony Scott's style of direction is best suited to this type of action flick. The flashy, exotic editing and cinematographic techniques lend a lot to the witty script and compliment the seedy or pretty locations. Shane Black has also written dozens of one-liners and riddled the script with funny dialogue and exciting situations. It's no surprise that this was once the most expensive script ever sold in Hollywood.

Some people say that this film is too violent and misogynist but I honestly cannot understand what they are talking about. I guess it was just a little out of the norm back in 1991. But still the tone of the film is so light and enjoyable you begin to wonder how this never made up for it. Check it out for yourself and I am sure that you will enjoy.

Love that opening song, man. 7/10

It's been 14 years since Tony Scott's The Last Boyscout was released and it was not a major hit at the box office.

Too bad.

Still, this guilty pleasure is one of funniest action movies ever made. The movie starts with the rocky (and cheesy) theme "Friday Night is A Great Night For Football" sung by Bill Medley. You can't top that way to begin a movie.

But then Scott surprises us again. the opening sequence, where a football player is going to use any way possible to score a touchdown, is breath taking too. Enter Joe Hallenback (Willis) and Jimmy Dix (Wayans) two fallen heroes. One, a detective, the other an ex pro of the Stallion's league. The mob is there too, gamble, money, bets, a murdered young girl and big explosions. All of this wrapped up in a great story, which I won't spoil. This film is one of Tarantino's favorites. It's full of one liners and classic scenes. Violent and graphic. "Touch me again and I kill you..." says Willis' character to one of the gangsters. You should see the result. Written by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) you've got a guarantee you're going to have a great time. Taylor Negron is great as Milo, the villain, a young and beautiful Halle Berry is Kory a girl that knows too much, the sexy Chelsea Field is Hallenback's wife and Danielle Harris is her daughter a great characters that nearly steals the show.

This is not an "art" movie. It's pure entertainment, an excellent flick. Is anything better than that?

This is going to sound really cheesy but...they REALLY don't make'em like this anymore. This is a film that is as close to matching the level of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard as any early to mid '90s action flick has ever come. Damon Wayans is no Danny Glover or Sam Jackson, but there is a definite chemistry with Bruce Willis, and you can really tell on screen how much fun they're having during the shoot.

The Last Boy Scout is everything a male action enthusiast can desire: there's enough wit to last three movies and the action is generously displayed by Tony Scott on screen. The pacing is actually done well for a change (which is more than can be said about most in the genre). The acting of the supporting cast may not be top notch but then again, that wasn't the case for the Lethal Weapon films and they managed to entertain me for four editions.

The villains are hilariously dorky but that's part of the fun of watching these 'old' action movies. You see bad eighties haircuts and the music playing in the background is as wrong as it gets (usually 'Miami Vice'-like). Take everything with a grain (or a bag) of salt and just lay back and enjoy. There isn't a man alive who can't enjoy TLBS on some level (even if it's just as a guilty pleasure).

Recommended!

We watched this on an encore channel and given it's mediocre 2 star rating and age of 14 years we didn't really expect much. First, we aren't connoisseurs of the action flick and maybe it's too uneven to please people who really dote on the genre. There are a couple of places where the plot is advanced without much pretext other than the need to cut to an exciting bit of action. And there are a couple of action scenes that a good editor would simply have cut.

But Willis and Wayans give energetic and nicely tuned performances. Chelsea Field is just perfect in a limited role as the detective's wife. The villains are far better drawn than the usual bunch of lazy thugs. And Danielle Harris steals the show as Darian Hallenbeck, the feisty and foul-mouthed 13 year old daughter. She grows during the film with barely an effort – by either writer or actor. A part written with great comic creativity. Really the best thing about a film that has a lot of imaginative lines and action moments.

And there are lots of places in this film where the writers give us lines that are head and shoulders above typical film dialog – and way, way beyond the norm for most action movies. A quick guess would be that there were a dozen places where a good line turned up instead of the usual clichés.