Last Man Standing (1996)

Best known for making movies about men and violence, director Walter Hill scored a misfire with this ambitious but ultimately dreary remake of Akira Kurosawa's samurai classic Yojimbo. The story's essentially the same but the setting has been switched to a dusty, almost ghostly Texas town in the 1930s, where two rival Chicago gangs are locked in an uneasy truce. Bruce Willis plays the lone drifter who allies himself with both gangs to his own advantage, working both sides against each other according to his own hidden agenda. The violence escalates to a bloody climax, of course, with Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, and Michael Imperioli as trigger-happy lieutenants in a lonely, desolate war. Fans of gangster movies will want to see this, and, if nothing else, Hill has brought his polished style to a vaguely mythic story. It's far from being a classic, however, and although its action is at times masterfully choreographed, the movie's humorless attitude is unexpectedly oppressive. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

last man standing

Bruce Willis again delivers and excellent performance. Lots of action and excitement from beginning to the end. I think you would really enjoy this movie. May 5, 2008

Hicky:"Maybe you're the type of guy that would shoot an unarmed man back?" Smith: "I've done worse than that."

Akira Kurosawa's classic film Yojimbo gets a face lift and remade in this 1930's mafia shoot'em up film with some heavy hitting actors to head it. Bruce Willis is the man with no name, simply put as "John Smith", Bruce Dern as the corrupt sheriff and Christopher Walken as the notorious psycho "Hicky". Two rival gangs battle it out for control of the booze trade between Mexico and the states, Smith passes through to stir things up, make some money and run. He makes a fast reputation for himself with his pair of 45 autos killing the bad guys and playing both sides. The plot thickens and before he can keep up with it, he finds himself in a tight spot, where in the end...it can only end one way. This is a fantastic adaptation of the Japanese classic changed and boiled down to its basics; creepy, crazy characters, a great story line and lets not forget...some pretty sweet shoot outs in place of Samurai Sword duels. Last Man Standing by far is a superior film to such box office film flops as: Shoot'em Up, Smok'in Aces and Crank. Those films are complete garbage compared to Last Man Standing, plus you get to see three great actors together on screen. I'm torn between Bruce Dern and Christopher Walken myself, both favorites of mine and play great characters. This is also one of Bruce Willis's best action films aside from his Die Hard franchise. It's a non stop action film noir at its best and well worth watching as well as owning. April 9, 2008

"1911 Heaven"

The acting is so-so, storyline's been done before, but if you're a fan of John Browning's classic 1911 semi auto pistol, this film is a must have for your collection.

While there are not as many shooting scenes as I would have liked, the one's that are shown are excellent. My favorite one takes place in the beginning of the movie when Willis squares off against a local goon who trashed his car earlier. The goon reaches for a wheelgun in his shoulder holster, but Willis beats him to the draw pulling out his two 1911's from the double shoulder rig he's wearing, and proceeds to let fly with several rounds of .45ACP that slam into the bad guy like a sledgehammer, lifting him off his feet and out the door of the building, AWESOME !!!.

An added bonus of the movie is the appearance of one of my favorite actors Christopher Walken, watch him wield the Thompson smg; sheer magic!

September 19, 2007

Remake of a remake

First done by Akira Kurosawa (Yojimbo), then Sergio Leone (starring Clint Eastwood - A Fistfull of Dollars) it stands the test of time and the remake with Bruce Willis set in the Depression/Gangster Era. Same story but still a crowd pleaser with plenty of action and gun play. August 9, 2007

A Fistfull of Dollars for the Chicago Mob...

1996's "Last Man Standing" is a remake of the Clint Eastwood classic "A Fistfull of Dollars", itself derivative of an earlier Japanese samurai classic. In this version, Bruce Willis is the mysterious drifter who wanders into a dusty 1930's town in the American Southwest, where two rival gangs from Chicago, one Irish, one Italian, duel over prohibition liquor smuggling from Mexico. As in earlier films, the stranger who calls himself "John Smith" sells his very lethal services to the highest bidder, while the rivalry between the gangs literally becomes a war to the death.

Director Walter Hill is only partially successful in laying down an atmospheric thriller over several gunfight sequences. The respective Irish and Italian gangs seem more like stereotypes than the real thing. Fortunately, the gunfights are nicely staged and excellently choreographed.

Willis is entirely credible as a gunman on the run and down on his luck, injecting his everyman vulnerability into a role more easily played as a heartless killer. A sequence in which "Smith" clears a house of armed gang members, shooting and reloading twin .45 caliber automatic pistols with almost balletic grace, is a highpoint of the movie.

Christopher Walken, pitch-perfect as a psychotic killer for the Irish mob, is "Smith's" most dangerous opponent. The movie implies the two men have a history from Chicago, and their final confrontation will determine the "last man standing." Bruce Dern has a nice supporting role as a corrupt sheriff who waits out the violence to take back an almost deserted town.

This movie is highly recommended as a serviceable action movie. It is too much a copy to become a classic in its own right, but it is certainly entertaining. August 8, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...