Dancing a Jig with Dix's Chick
Whilst the name Tony Scott is well known for action movies the name Shane Black is probably not so well known or at least by the general public yet Shane Black is the man who wrote "Lethal Weapon". Black also wrote "The Last Boy Scout" which is a very similar movie where we have buddies, humour and action but it also has Bruce Willis adding his cynical sarcasm to the mix. What that really means is that "The Last Boy Scout" is like taking "Lethal Weapon" and blending it with "Die Hard" and the outcome, well it is an entertaining but stereotypical action movie which suffers from a weak slow storyline but makes up for it with action and humour.
Cynical detective Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis - Die Hard 2) is asked by a colleague, the same colleague who is doing his wife, to keep an eye on the pretty Cory, (Halle Berry) girlfriend of former Quarterback Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans - Roxanne). But when Cory is murdered Joe and Jimmy become unlikely partners as they go after the man who ordered Cory's death and who is also trying to kill them.
On the whole "The Last Boy Scout" works, it delivers pretty much everything you expect from a movie written by Shane Black, directed by Tony Scott and starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans. But it does have one problem and that is a very slim storyline which is not enough for a movie which lasts 105 minutes and what we get is for the first hour a lot of slow build up and padding. In fairness during the first hour we get character development, we learn all about the cynical Joe, his dysfunctional family and the fact he once saved the life of the President whilst we also learn about Jimmy, the drugs, the gambling and a tragedy which lead him down a sorry path. But whilst we get snippets of story as a couple of people die and Joe and Jimmy nearly get killed it is in no hurry to get anywhere.
Once the first hour is up "The Last Boy Scout" kicks into gear with 45 minutes of action from car chases to Joe talking tough and threatening to kill people if they lay a hand on him again. It is for the most derivative with action, one liners and gun fights which wouldn't look out of place in any number of late 80s early 90s action movies. But it also gives us a Bond like band guy or at least the creepily polite Taylor Negron as Milo who certainly makes a pleasant change to just muscle bound henchmen. And of course this all builds up to a spectacular and frankly unforgettable action packed climax at a football game which will have you doing a jig.
Aside from Taylor Negron "The Last Boy Scout" of course features Bruce Willis delivering an entertaining but also stereotypical performance as a wise cracking, cynical tough guy. Willis is entertaining and he works nicely with Damon Wayans who as you would expect delivers the majority of the general humour. But whilst Willis and Wayans are the focus of the movie when ever Danielle Harris is in the scene as Joe's sarcastic and foul mouthed daughter Darian she steals it from them especially in the scene featuring her cat puppet.
What this all boils down to is that "The Last Boy Scout" is a seriously entertaining movie for those who like "Lethal Weapon" and "Die Hard". But at the same time whilst entertaining it is just a stereotypical late 80s, early 90s action movie which delivers sarcasm, wit and a big explosive finish.
