Today’s quick review: Last Man Standing. Drifter John Smith (Bruce Willis) decides to lay low for a while in the dusty Texas town of Jericho, located near the Mexican border. The town is ruled by two rival gangs of rumrunners, one led by Doyle (David Patrick Kelly) and the other by Strozzi (Ned Eisenberg). Smith decides to play both sides against each other in hope of turning a profict, but soon finds himself mired in a deadly gang war.
Last Man Standing is a Prohibition-era crime movie with noir and Western elements. Bruce Willis stars as John Smith, a quiet man with few scruples and a knack for gunplay. The story follows him as he ping-pongs between Doyle’s gang and Strozzi’s, selling his services to the highest bidder and taking every opportunity that comes his way. The film features a decent lead and a fair amount of action, but suffers from an aimless plot and uninteresting characters.
Last Man Standing’s biggest draw is Bruce Willis himself. John Smith is not Willis’ best cahracter, but his grit, resourcefulness, and skill with a gun make him a viable protagonist, and his noir-style narration is the film’s best writing. The other major draw is the film’s action. The gunfights are loud and unrefined, and generally consist of Smith saturating his enemies with bullets. For pure spectacle, they work fairly well.
But beyond its lead and its action, Last Man Standing is a mixed bag. None of the other characters are all that interesting, and Doyle and Strozzi are a missed opportunity. As small-time crooks, they fit the setting well, but neither one comes across as menacing when Smith is in the room. The plot, adapted from Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars, has good ideas but middling execution, with interesting twists but not as much tension as it could have.
Watch Last Man Standing if you’re a fan of crime movies with an emphasis on action. Last Man Standing does not excel at the things it tries, but it has just enough in the ways of action, story, and character to make for a decent watch. Steer clear if you want a more compelling drama. For the same story in Western form, with better characters and direction, try A Fistful of Dollars. For an action-heavy Prohibition-era crime movie, try Gangster Squad.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a strong premise, mediocre execution, and one or two high points.