John Smith is a mysterious stranger who is drawn into a vicious war between two Prohibition-era gangs. In a dangerous game, he switches allegiances from one to another, offering his services to the highest bidder. As the death toll mounts, Smith takes the law into his own hands in a deadly race to stay alive.
Bruce Willis
John Smith
Bruce Dern
Sheriff Ed Galt
William Sanderson
Joe Monday
Christopher Walken
Hickey
David Patrick Kelly
Doyle
Karina Lombard
Felina
Ned Eisenberg
Fredo Strozzi
Michael Imperioli
Giorgio Carmonte
R. D. Call
Jack McCool
Alexandra Powers
Lucy Kolinski
Ken Jenkins
Captain Tom Pickett
Ted Markland
Deputy Bob
Leslie Mann
Wanda
Patrick Kilpatrick
Finn
Cassandra Gava
Barmaid
Luis Contreras
Comandante Ramirez
Raynor Scheine
Gas Station Attendant
Tiny Ron
Jacko the Giant
John Paxton
The Undertaker
Michael Cavalieri
Berto
Hannes Fritsch
Santo
Michael Strasser
Docker
Matt O'Toole
Burke
Lin Shaye
The Madame
Larry Holt
Border Patrolman
Dean Rader Duval
Donnie
Thomas Rosales Jr.
Ramirez Bodyguard
Jimmy Ortega
Ramirez Bodyguard
Joseph Palmer
Bruce Willis' Photo Double
Allan Graf
Convoy Driver
Director, Screenplay
Walter Hill
Original Film Writer
Akira Kurosawa
Original Film Writer
Ryūzō Kikushima
December 22, 2018
7
And like Jericho, Walls come tumbling down.
Last Man Standing is directed by Walter Hill who also adapts the screenplay from a story written by Ryûzô Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa. It stars Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern, William Sanderson, Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, Karina Lombard and Ned Eisenberg. Music is by Ry Cooder and cinematography by Lloyd Ahern.
Walter Hill's variant on Yojimbo, plot basically sees Willis as drifter John Smith, who after arriving in the dusty town of Jericho, promptly sets about making some serious cash by playing the town's two gangs off against each other. Smith is one tough hombre, a deadly pistoleer who has a fear of nothing, which is why the two respective gang leaders want him to work for them. Noses get put out of joint, blood flows, scores settled and a anti-hero is born, complete with permanent scowl and dry narration.
The look and sound is terrific, Cooder's pessimistic twangs are all over the plot, while the visuals dovetail between sun-baked landscapes and the misty lensed ghost town of Jericho. Hill brings his trademark stylish violence into play, with slow-mos and rapid fire shoot-outs impressive, while his skill at creating an antique atmosphere is very much in evidence. Unfortunately the narrative isn't up to much, it lacks scope and characters merely exist, making this very much a style over substance exercise. It also means that much of the cast are given only morsels to feed on. A shame when you got Walken and Kelly on overdrive when on screen.
It's an odd blend of a Western with Prohibition Noir characters, but it's unmistakably a Walter Hill film. For his fans there's enough to like about it whilst accepting it's a bit of a throwaway on the page. For the casual crime/action film fan, however, it's likely to be much ado about nothing. 7/10
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$67,000,000.00
Revenue:
$47,267,001.00