The Last Boy Scout (1991)

One of those movies that strains plausibility to the breaking point, and beyond. However, Bruce Willis's down-on-his-luck, easy-going but tough-as-nails character makes this work. At least, in whatever alternate universe this stuff could possibly happen, anyway. The American Public is fed up with pro football?...yeah...right. Damon Wayans does not look or act like a seasoned professional quarterback, some of the football players look woefully out of shape and overweight, a prominent politician is a sexual psychopath, and nobody has a clue?. Hmmm...

Anyway, Willis's pull-up-a-chair, have-a-beer, guy-next-door character works, and makes this an enjoyable action movie. He is a tough guy when he needs to be, but yet is vulnerable in his relationships with his wife and daughter. He becomes a character that you root for.

Many of the other actors work well also, even in this cartoon plot. Not an award winner, but a decent enough way to spend a couple of hours.

Fmovies: There are chick flicks, family flicks and guy flicksÂ…and so there should be. No prizes for guessing which category this one falls into.

My favourite action movie is 'Die Hard' (the original, not the pumped up sequels), but I don't mind telling you: this one ain't far behind. There are cars, guns, chases and foul language, and you can cut the testosterone with a spade. Exactly the way it should be. And some of the funniest dialogue you'll ever hear.

Bruce Willis was made for this kind of movie, and his shambolic, wise-cracking Joe Hallenbeck is easily his best creation since John McClane. Damon Wayans, who I don't normally like, is also surprisingly good as the sidekick; and Danielle Harris must have been the envy of the 8th grade when she made this. What a script to give to a 13-year old kid!

You want culture: go see 'Amadeus'. You want thrills and fun and laughter: leave the critical faculties at home and go see this. I wish there were more like it.

Great movie excellently interpreted by Bruce Willis who personifies magnificently the archetypes of the excellent antihero. By means of a marvelous and elegant script, the action develops to pace of video - paper clip, with a perfect aesthetics, action to streams and a sense of the sarcastic, intelligent and brilliant humor. The prominent figures are worn out, leaving each one his personal stamp in the film; as curiosity, the exuberant appears Halle Berry in one of her first appearances on the great screen. We are before an impact ante and entertaining movie, which it(he,she) seems to improve with the years, turning practically into the classic one of the cinema of action.

The Last Boy Scout fmovies. Before commenting on the movie itself I would like to explain my position on "judging" movies (since I'm a newbie here). Namely - IMHO, one has to analyze the "how", not the "what". Meaning - if you, for instance, compare this movie to a, for example, Pasolini / Bertolucci / Tarkovski / Whoever-else, you won't get far. There's no way to choose between a melon and a steak - one is a main course, another is dessert. Now then, all I gotta say on the actual movie is: an excellent specie of a purely commercial entertainment for grown-ups with a lot of kid stuff inside. The advantages and limitations of the genre - which is your typical action with a twist of comedy - are played on beautifully by the great action hero (who, IMHO, is also much more than that) Bruce Willis with his usual charisma and self-irony. Damon Wanes gives a very decent, even if a bit "afroamerican-comedy-club stereotype" performance, every note is in it's rightful place, though he is not as yet the actor we know from "Bamboozled". Danielle Harris is easy-going, natural and convincing as a teen daughter of the Last Boyscout. Chelsea Field is a bit shallow in this, your standard "wife". I think the role needed more "soulsearching". Taylor Negrin was too "cartoony" for my taste, a bit over the top, so didn't affect me as scary, which was obviously intended. The screenplay is fast, alive and has a good balance of drama/comedy, without rubbing our faces in either. Tony Scott keeps it interesting with his very own and unique visual style. On the whole - a highly enjoyable quality entertainment. WATCH IT - HAVE FUN!

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?

The Last Boy Scout is without a doubt one of the greatest action movies ever made. There is nothing a good action film needs that isn't woven into Tony Scott's vision of Shane Black's screenplay. We have shootouts.... lots and lots of shootouts. We have Bruce Willis. We have football. We have some beautiful women at our disposal. There are some fast cars. There are drugs. And the profanity-laden dialog is so well-written that virtually the entire script can be read in the memorable quotes section of this site.

Our story, though completely preposterous, has some real depth. We have multi-dimensional characters and we are taken on quite a ride with them as the action unfolds. Bruce Willis plays a burned out private investigator who helps a disgraced former pro football player solve the murder of his girlfriend. Before our story ends, we have a dirty US senator, a greedy football team owner, and about a hundred seedy henchmen thrown into the mix. Things move so quickly that only towards the end does one of our characters actually speak a line that sums up how ridiculous it all is. Damon Wayans, who plays the former football star gives Willis some sobering insight. He points out that Willis must be one of the dumbest people alive. He is not only trying to save the life of the man who ruined his career, but also trying to avenge the death of the man who was f*#king his wife! But somehow, we the audience care about the outcome, and getting there couldn't be more fun.

The film has dated fairly well up to this point. Being as though it came out in 1991, you can still see a high top fade on a black character or two. The football uniforms have changed a little, too, but these are minor things that take nothing away from the enjoyment of the story. Water is still wet, the sky is still blue, and this is still one hell of a movie...and then some!!! This film scores a perfect 10 of 10 stars. It couldn't have been made any better.

So sayeth the Hound.