The Last Stand

THE LAST STAND [2013] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] From Real-Life Governor to Small-Town Sheriff!

Action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his much-anticipated return to the big screen in South Korean director Kim Jee-Woon’s directorial debut in the hard-hitting American action film, ‘THE LAST STAND.’

After leaving his LAPD narcotics post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with remorse and regret, Sheriff Ray Owens [Arnold Schwarzenegger] moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez [Eduardo Noriega], the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy.

With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell [Peter Stormare], Gabriel Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Gabriel Cortez’s path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister [Forest Whitaker] will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Sheriff Ray Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.

Cast: Arron Shiver, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Titos Menchaca, Richard Dillard, Doug Jackson, Mathew Greer, Peter Stormare, Chris Browning, Christiana Leucas, Johnny Knoxville, Zach Gilford, Luis Guzmán, Rio Alexander, James Burnett, David Midthunder, Tait Fletcher, Mark Sivertsen, Jaimie Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro, Forest Whitaker, Genesis Rodriguez, Daniel Henney, Eduardo Noriega, Diana R. Lupo, David Kilde, David House, Billy Blair, Kent Kirkpatrick, Mario Moreno, John Patrick Amedori, Kristen DeVore Rakes, Don Ambabo, Ross Kelly, Ryan Jason Cook, Elias Gallegos, Kevin Wiggins, Lois Geary, Jermaine Washington, Terry Dale Parks, Allan Padelford, Tim Booth, Cliff Fleming, Eddie J. Fernandez (uncredited), Scott Flick (uncredited), Julia Gallegos (uncredited), Angela Joseph (uncredited), Brandy Joseph (uncredited), Kearon Lehman (uncredited), Gregory Leiker (uncredited), Alexandria Morrow (uncredited), Steve Most (uncredited), Frank Powers (uncredited), Dieter Rauter (uncredited), Jessica Record (uncredited), Ned Record (uncredited), Kelly Ruble (uncredited), Jeff Sanders (uncredited), Harry Dean Stanton (uncredited) and Julian Wondolowski (uncredited)

Director: Kim Jee-Woon

Producers: Edward Fee, Guy Riedel, Hernany Perla, John Sacchi, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Paseornek, Miky Lee and Udi Nedivi

Screenplay: Andrew Knauer

Composer: Mowg

Cinematography: Ji-yong Kim (Director of Photography)

Image Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

Subtitles: English SDH

Running Time: 107 minutes

Region: Region B/2

Number of discs: 1

Studio: LIONSGATE Home Entertainment

Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: The one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger returns in a very entertaining, old-school, cops-and-drug-barons action packed film and during the start of the film, it may say something about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s future in action films, where he is not this time the trigger happy man who enjoys a killing spree, but not so much in this film.

In the film ‘THE LAST STAND,’ once upon a time, Ray Owens [Arnold Schwarzenegger] was an all-time hero, as a police officer in Los Angeles, where he helped to bring down a massive drug-running operation. But success came at a terrible cost, where among Ray Owens's team of eight officers involved in the raid, he was the sole survivor  . . . taking five bullets in the process. Which is why Ray Owens, now approaching retirement age, now serves as the sheriff of sleepy town of Sommerton, Arizona. It's a border town where about the most egregious illegal activity on any given day might consist of the Mayor of Sommerton proudly parking his shiny red Camaro car in a fire zone, which Sherriff Ray Owens is not too happy about.

Sheriff Ray Owens hears that a serious drug-cartel kingpin has escaped from FBI custody. The only folks who can stop him are Sheriff Ray Owens and his ragtag bunch of cops that are not into boozing, but are doughnut-scoffing guys, and on top of all that we have one female officer to fight the evil criminals all on their own. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not all he used to be, but still has some punch left in this wonderful over the top action packed film.

‘THE LAST STAND’ film gives Arnold Schwarzenegger his first major role since he left the California governorship, and sure, he fires some guns and gets a few of those Arnold Schwarzenegger famous one-liners in his other iconic box office success. But other heroics are with him in a supporting cast that includes Luis Guzmán, Jaimie Alexander and Johnny Knoxville. At 65 years of age, Arnold Schwarzenegger can no longer be expected to do it all, but is helped along with people who want to stand together like a family, but with determination to stop these evil criminals in their tracks.

South Korean director Kim Jee-Woon was tasked with    reintroducing the iconic action star and now ten years older in 2013 to be the leading man in the spotlight. An especially fitting challenge, given that the primary character in his new film left Los Angeles to live his peaceful golden years in small town New Mexico, and does Arnold Schwarzenegger still has what it takes to be a worthwhile Hollywood leading man that can kick butt and spout memorable one-liners?

There are moments when Arnold Schwarzenegger's Sheriff Ray Owens, still in strong shape but undeniably easing into the late afternoon of his life, resembles characters Clint Eastwood played back in the 1990s, physically capable guys who can still rise to the occasion even if they have slowed a step and will feel the bangs and bruises longer after the action's over. This is a direction the still-imposing former body builder could plausibly pursue for a few more years, but the extent of his big-screen return will depend in large measure upon whether or not his name still means much to younger audiences.

Of course, there would be no ‘THE LAST STAND’ without Arnold Schwarzenegger's larger-than-life persona. Despite a few scenes of overly-sentimental dialogue, where the action star comes across as a bit stiff, Arnold Schwarzenegger carries the film and he is the perfect protagonist for the situation depicted in the film. It's clear that to help separate Sheriff Ray Owens from the list of memorable Arnold Schwarzenegger roles, the actor plays the character to his strengths and even incorporating some interesting self-referential banter about his history with Los Angeles and Arnold Schwarzenegger certainly embraces the role, and especially when the action ramps up.

Director Kim Jee-Woon finds a solid balance between over the top action and stylized action with his American debut - while making smart use of a likable and quirky roster of characters. Ultimately, ‘THE LAST STAND’ is a fun throwback to the days of formulaic but immensely entertaining Arnold Schwarzenegger films. After the actor's ten year hiatus, the gamble pays off this round, but with a healthy dose of in-development action roles ahead of him, audiences may be less excited about similar performances down the line. Yet, for now at least, watching Arnold Schwarzenegger fire shotguns and body slam bad guys is as enjoyable as ever. So all in all this is a totally brilliant, engaging and enjoyable action packed romp of a film and one you can view many times and not get bored, this gets my five star rating.

THE LAST STAND MUSIC TRACK LIST

BLUE MOON REVISITED (Song For Elvis) (Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart) [Performed by Cowboy Junkies]

I’LL PRETEND (Written by Glen Morris) [Performed by Glen Morris]

ANGEL FROM HEAVEN (Written by Paul Craig) [Performed by Paul Craig]

I AIN’T SUPERSTITIOUS (Written by Willie Dixon) [Performed by Santana featuring Jonny Lang]

Blu-ray Image Quality – LIONSGATE Home Entertainment presents us with a really stunning 1080p image presentation, especially as the film was shot in the digital format, and is helped with an equally impressive 2.40:1 aspect ratio. You really get to experience excellent robust colours, but especially when any red blood is shed. You also get to see some very fine sharp image presentation that is really excellent, and really shows off the contrast very well, especially with the night time sequences, and especially shows off the shadow details really well. Black levels are extremely good, especially with the dark desert night scenes that really hide whatever evil is lurking in the darkness. With the decision to use digital cameras has led to great clarity, but despite a lot of negative criticism from other Blu-ray reviewers, I personally felt the image is still a very good image presentation. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.

Blu-ray Audio Quality – LIONSGATE Home Entertainment presents us with awesome 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio experiences that is certainly one of the most immersive surround audio tracks I have heard in a very long time. From the first moments of the film, when the awesome sound of the Corvette ZR1 is zooming down an abandoned highway, the rear and front channels get a really good workout, and it is clear this film is going to be one heck of an audio sonic ride, especially when it comes to the dedicated dramatic scenes, the mazing amounts of gun shootouts, awesome explosion scenes and of course the wonderful composed film score music. The dialogue is extremely well placed with the front speakers and always very easily heard and understood. The audio fidelity is really excellent and has some really good dynamic range that is incredibly wide and prominent. But overall, the audio presentation is totally impressive and will give your speakers a really good workout and really enhances the action you see in the film.

Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:

Special Feature: Not In My Town: Making ‘THE LAST STAND’ [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1/2.40:1] [28:11] This making-of documentary offers interviews with cast and crew, lots of behind-the-scenes filming footage and several interesting film location observations on this action packed film. Director Kim Jee-Woon feels the film is homage to the genre of an old fashioned cowboy film, without the tumbleweed, and more like a Cattle Baron driving his herd through the town. Director Kim Jee-Woon really liked the strong story synopsis of protecting something very important, however small, and the idea of advanced technology, being stopped in analogue ways, and wanted very much to work on this project. Arnold Schwarzenegger really liked the director and his films, and feels he is very talented and always wanted to work with this director and especially a fantastic script. Director Kim Jee-Woon says that he was pretty amazed that a foreigner could, more than an American director, could come up with American humour and American Entertainment. In a way, there is Korean sentiments, American sentiments, and universal global sentiments, all within me, and I think it is because I am not “Hollywood,” or American, that all of these combine and come out of me. Contributors include: Lorenzo Di Bonaventura [Producer], Kim Jee-Woon [Director], Arnold Schwarzenegger [Sheriff Ray Owens], Johnny Knoxville [Lewis Dinkum], Forest Whitaker [Agent John Bannister], Rodrigo Santoro [Frank Martinez], Luis Guzmán [Mike Figuerola], Jaimie Alexander [Sarah Torrance], Peter Stormare [Burrell], Darrin Prescott [Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator], Wade Allen [Second Unit Stunt Coordinator], Eduardo Noriega [Gabriel Cortez], Guy Riedel [Executive Producer], Franco-Giacomo Carbone [Production Designer], David A. Ticotin [First Assistant Director] and David Waine [Special Effects Coordinator].

Special Feature: Cornfield Chaos: Scene Breakdown [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [11:21] This making-of documentary takes a look at the great climactic car chase in the cornfield between the two types of Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 cars that encapsulate the film. We get to view an in-depth look at the behind-the-scene filming and the intricate set up for the dramatic and amazing hair raising driving sequence in the film that was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chevrolet gave them six cars to be used for the stunt sequences in the film. We see some amazing stunt driving and they really show off the professional drivers in cooperation with the actors. Contributors include: Wade Allen [Second Unit Stunt Coordinator], Guy Riedel [Executive Producer], Lorenzo di Bonaventura [Producer], Kim Jee-Woon [Director], Arnold Schwarzenegger [Sheriff Ray Owens], Tabb Firchau [Free Fly Cinema/Drone] and Eduardo Noriega [Gabriel Cortez]

Special Feature: The Dinkum Firearm and Historic Weaponry Museum [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [11:21] If you like your awesome powerful tactical weapons and want to see the firepower was used in the film's shootouts, then this special feature will be right up your street. Here we take an in-depth look inside the building in the film where all the weapons and ammunition that you see in the film the actors checking everything out. Director Kim Jee-Woon comments, that you know, every country has their geeks, and The Dinkum Firearm and Historic Weaponry Museum is a military geeks paradise, and he wanted to portray its unique character and quirkiness. Director Kim Jee-Woon also comments about Johnny Knoxville and his character, where he actually eats and sleeps in the building and seeing all of his weapons makes him very proud, and that’s Lewis Dinkum’s world. The British Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun [water-cooled .303] was an actual working machine gun for the film, and the 9 yard belt held the ammunition, and that is where the saying, “Give them the whole nine yards” came from. We also get an in-depth look at the Thompson submachine gun [aka Tommy Gun] is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1918, that became infamous during the Prohibition era and is still a real operational gun, and used a drum magazine, that holds 50 rounds of amunition, and looks totally lethal, and director Kim Jee-Woon wanted old weapons to be used in a modern setting, to defeat the bad macho honchos. Contributors include: Larry Zanoff [ISS Weapons Consultant/ Armorer], Brett Andrews [Armorer], Kim Jee-Woon [Director], Johnny Knoxville [Lewis Dinkum], Lorenzo di Bonaventura [Producer], Jaimie Alexander [Sarah Thomas] and Arnold Schwarzenegger [Sheriff Ray Owens].

Special Feature: Actor-Cam Anarchy: with Johnny Knoxville and Jaimie Alexander [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [10:32] This making-of documentary is via a personal video camera footage featuring the two actors Johnny Knoxville and Jaimie Alexander, who walk around through a morning shoot, from being picked up by a driver to the setting up of the shooting action scenes which was in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Belen, New Mexico. Johnny Knoxville shows the filmmaking side while Jaimie Alexander introduces us to her friends. Contributors include: Jaimie Alexander [Sarah Thomas], Johnny Knoxville [Lewis Dinkum], Thomas L. Suh [Assistant to Mr. Kim Jee-Woon], Jacob J. Yoo [Translator], Trina Siopy [Assistant Prop Master], Dieter Rauter [Stunt Performer], Kylie Furneaux [Stunt Double], David A. Ticotin [First Assistant Director], Kim Jee-Woon [Director], Peter Stormare [Burrell] and Rodrigo Santoro [Frank Martinez].     

Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [8:15] Here we get to view six deleted scenes, which are as follows: Pharmacy; Getting Older; Bannister’s Briefing, Burrell; Blood On Her Hands; and Bridge Skateboard. 99.9% are not at all very impressive, and you can see why they were not included in the film. But as to the Bridge Skateboard scene, I thought this was totally spectacular and should have been left in the film. As usual, you can either view them separately or Play All.

Special Feature: Extended Scenes [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [14:06] Here with this special feature, you get to view seven extended scenes, and they are as follows: The Dinner; Checking In; House Search; Police Station; Getting Armed; Sarah & Frank; and Car Kiss. As usual, you can either watch them separately or Play All.

Special Feature: Bookmarks: Here you can add Bookmarks for your favourite scenes in the film, and eventually when not required, you can delete all the Bookmarks.    

Finally, ‘THE LAST STAND’ is a certified good action packed film that gets thumbs up from me, even if Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting is getting a little bit rusty, especially for this film in general, especially with just lots of good old-fashion guilty pleasure fun, especially with pompous nasty critics getting really getting worked up over a film that never tries to be anything than it is to be honest I am not sure why it bombed theatrically. Maybe it is because audiences are not so keen these days of the idea of having more shoot ’em up action type films anymore, but for me I love them and to me it is good guilty escapism. ‘THE LAST STAND’ is a rare type of the comeback decent enough action film, but one that is in reverence for its star Arnold Schwarzenegger, and why not again for this guilty pleasure action packed film, which of course is in the capable hands of director South Korean Kim Jee-Woon. Highly Recommended!

Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado 
Le Cinema Paradiso 
United Kingdom