Gutsycurene
Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Marva-nova
Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Comeuppance Reviews
Joe Hallenbeck (Willis) is a jaded private detective just trying to keep his family life together when he takes on the case of Cory (Berry), a stripper involved in a blackmail plot. When Cory's boyfriend Jimmy Dix (Wayans), a former pro-footballer for the L.A. Stallions gets involved, the two unlikely partners become embroiled in a conspiracy that goes...you guessed it, all the way to the top. Along the way, they have to avoid many perilous situations, trouble from goons, and perhaps a surprise appearance from Dick Butkus. Will Joe Hallenbeck truly be THE LAST BOY SCOUT?
Shane Black for President, man. Shane Black for freakin' President. That pretty much sums up our feelings for this great film, and if you haven't seen it in a while, we say it's time to revisit it. We guarantee you won't be disappointed. The great Mr. Black was the writer behind Lethal Weapon (1987), and here he develops that style even more - it's cool, it's funny, it's tough, it has action, it's totally entertaining, everything works, and everything ties up beautifully. As a writer of intelligent, masculine movies, Black is the heir apparent to John Milius. We're happy to give the movie this sort of enthusiastic praise.
It all opens with a slam-bang opening featuring fan favorite Billy Blanks, and never lets up from there. Even the accompanying video/song "Friday Night's a Great Time for Football" by Bill Medley sets the tone well. Bruce Willis is at his absolute best as the burned-out, grizzled private detective - smoking heavily, spitting out un-PC dialogue, and engaging in the sort of witty repartee you just don't see in movies anymore. Damon Wayans, also at his best, is "action Wayans", and we should have seen more of that later in his career. Despite their supposed character flaws, both men remain likable, and the viewer is highly invested in their fate.
While the movie was allegedly beset by production problems and changes, it remains extremely coherent and you'd never know that if you didn't read about it somewhere. If it's this good as it is now, one has to wonder would it be as good if there was no studio meddling - or maybe better? We'll never know, but let's appreciate what we have. It's also packed with many familiar names in the supporting cast, and although a lot of action movies feature a daughter, Danielle Harris as Hallenbeck's daughter Darian has to go on record as the one with the most edge. She has a lot more attitude than the normal tot (she's 13 in the movie but we tend to call them tots). There's even a WYC (White Yelling Chief) to top off the overstuffed package of punching, shooting, chasing, blow-ups, plot developments, and clever dialogue.
Sadly, they don't make movies like this anymore, but at least we have gems like this. What Shane Black has done is essentially fashion a Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade tale, but updated for 1991. The results are stellar, and we strongly recommend The Last Boy Scout, a movie that has proven itself over time to have reached classic status.
gregoryparmer
A+ Emotional Tone
A+ Open/Close Soundtrack usage.I will rate the film a solid "10"
If for nothing else the opening and closing scenes. So as not to bore you
I will use my high-school dropout
Stream-of-consciousness
philosophical appproach.
I'm a lame writer with bad grammar so try and muscle through.Opening/Closing Scenes
Both feature
"Moody River, by: Pat Boone"
Open:
A Drunk, down on his luck
Low-Grade Private Detective and
Everyman, Joseph- knows the world is F'd
up, but blames himself. Jimmy Dix, ex Pro Baller knows the world is F'd up and also blames himself. Both Self-medicate. One with booze and one with drugs. (Then an incredible movie happens and is written and acted to perfection)Close:
_
juxtaposition?
_
Now sober Everyman Joseph
& sober Jimmy Dix via ("moments-of clarity")
Both coming to terms with how extraordinarily
F'd up the world is. They survived. They learned. It was all a part of some grand design they had no "physical control over," until they became men of action.
Were they at fault?
If you posit Kantian Ethical philosophy, they were, because they were not prepared.
conclusion?
The film itself offers this simple reminder to "always be prepared."
Could there be a more perfect song to accompany the opening and closing of this Masterpiece of a film? (If you posit the relationship dynamics within?)
Some people find soundtracks unimportant. I find them to be everything. This movie is tied (for me) with "Pulp Fiction" In the upper echelons of music-magic-movie-making history.
Not just in soundtrack, but style, mood, and performances. Agree or disagree, I could care less. It's my view. Acting is crucial in film
But more so is the mood of the opening and closing scenes. Within itself, (as it appears to this observer)
TLB is Absolute PERFECTION.
The world will always be F'd up
so be prepared.
Joe-
"The waters wet, the skies are blue, women have secrets, and old Satan Claus; he is out there Jimmy."
Jimmy- "So what do we do?"
Joe- "be prepared Jimmy, that's my motto." "Be prepared."
Tweekums
Joseph Hallenbeck is a Los Angeles private detective who left the US Secret Service under a cloud after striking Senator Calvin Baynard; Jimmy Dix is a former American Football quarterback who was kicked out of the game for gambling offences… this unlikely pair find themselves working together when the woman Joe was hired to protect, Jimmy's girlfriend, is murdered. They are both determined to get to the bottom of what happened. They discover that she had incriminating evidence that linked local football team owner Shelly Marcone and Senator Baynard concerning an investigation into the legalisation of gambling of sports in the US. The evidence is destroyed but it points them in the right direction and soon they, along with Joe's teenage daughter, Darian, are in considerable danger.If one was in any doubt that this was going to rather over the top the opening scene will dispel those doubts… the sight of a professional football player pulling a gun and shooting several opponents before killing himself was almost laughable. We then get a story full of clichés; the mismatched characters who bond over the course of the series, bad guys dispatched with witty quips and a hero's daughter caught up in events… at first these clichés are mildly irritating but as it progresses they become amusing as one spots each new one. This may all make this sound like a poor film but ultimately it is rather fun… there is lots of great action with shootings, explosions and even a bad guy getting sliced-and-diced as he falls through a helicopter's rotors! Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans put in solid performances as Joe and Jimmy. Halle Berry puts in a nice little performance, in an early role, as Jimmy's girlfriend; it was a pity her character was killed so soon. Young Danielle Harris also impresses as Joe's daughter, a character who could easily have been irritating. Overall this isn't really a classic but if you like '90s action it is certainly worth checking out.
ivo-cobra8
The Last Boy Scout (1991) is the best action movie from the 90's. It is my favorite action movie from Tony Scott and Bruce Willis. I would put this movie right beside Die Hard 2 (1990), because both of the movies come out in the 90's which Bruce Willis started it. Both of the movies did a great job! Every time I watch this movie, I just miss the 90's. The 80's and the 90's had such a great action movies. Bruce Willis wasn't over hyped than like he is now, he as a true sold out. In this film he completely Entertains me. The action and the story are so good in here that you just wanna keep watching it. The acting in here is superb and the action scenes are outstanding and fantastic. You have a lot of famous actors in here. If you're a fan of bloody old-school action and one-liners, you must watch this! Script is simple, witty one-liners are all over the place and Willis does a great job playing a rundown detective.Tony Scott does a great job directing action movies and it is a shame that he passed away in 2012. I have always enjoyed his movies beside The Last Boy Scout there are Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Enemy of the State and Man on Fire movies. Tony Scott is very missed by fans including me. So in this movie you have actors like are: Noble Willingham from Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) TV Series, Halle Berry from X-Men, Bruce McGill from MacGyver, Joe Santos from TV Series: The Rockford Files, MacGyver and Magnum P.I., Kim Coates from Prison Break, Chelsea Field from Commando (1985) she was a stewardess on an airplane where John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) gets on a board on the airplane and Billy Blanks. You have full cast of actors and actresses I have memorized from TV Shows and from movies. 1991's The Last Boy Scout paired Bruce Willis with Damien Wayans in this scripted buddy flick from Shane Black who gave us Lethal Weapon. Boy Scout uses the various themes expected from such a genre film and Willis gives an A-1 performance as a wise-crackin' half-in-the-bag detective out to help Wayan's character of Jimmy Dicks search for his girlfriends killer and also put a stop to a plot to kill a senator and legalize sports gambling all at the same time. Boy Scout was directed by Tony Scott who knows how to tell action stories. This has it all. Solid action with lots of twisted humor tossed in. Honestly I love this. Perfect action for the era with as many cheesy punch lines as you can squeeze in. Second only to Die Hard.Thrilling action beautifully directed by Tony Scott....a to-the-point story that actually has you invested...and a great leading Willis all make for a good movie but what makes this movie GREAT is the duo of Willis and Wayans and the chemistry they share together....I know your thinking that a pairing like that is a DISASTER for an action movie but let me tell you it is the complete opposite...the duo is the main reason the movie flows so well....so I say buy this movie because you surely wont be disappointed.Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Bruce Willis ("Die Hard", "Sin City") and Emmy-nominee Damon Wayans (TV's "My Wife and Kids," TV's "In Living Color") team up as an ex-secret service agent and a former pro-football hero who uncover a web of intrigue and corruption in professional sports when they team up to investigate the murder of the football player's stripper girlfriend. That's your basic plot. The movie has action impact and it is action packed from beginning till end. Joe (Bruce Willis) has always great liens he uses in the movie. He is straight and honest guy who his daughter and wife does not respect him. He is an ex washed up secret service agent man turning in to private detective. He has to protect a striper when she is killed he teams up with washed up pro football player. The movie also evolves, scandals, extraction, gambling deb, alcoholism and so on. The film is violent, and bloody, there are a lot of hand guns and machine guns used in this movie and they are used well. This movie is a perfect 10 for me and it is my favorite action movie from Bruce Willis and Tony Scott. The Last Boy Scout is a 1991 American action film directed by Tony Scott, starring Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham, Taylor Negron and Danielle Harris. The film was released in the United States on December 13, 1991.10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Geffen Pictures, Silver Pictures, Warner Bros. Starring: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham, Taylor Negron, Danielle Harris, Halle Berry, Bruce McGill, Kim Coates, Chelcie Ross, Joe Santos, Billy Blanks Director: Tony Scott Producers: Joel Silver, Michael Levy Screenplay: Shane Black Story by Shane Black, Greg Hicks Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 45 Mins. Budget: $29.000.000 Box Office: $59,509,925
