He's Still Got It!

Totally lost in the shuffle for me earlier this year was Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to feature films, The Last Stand. It was released in January amid Oscar season, and overlooked in lists of 2013 blockbusters. It didn't make a ton of money, but was favorably reviewed getting 60% at Rotten Tomatoes. 

So, it was released on video this past week, and being an Ah-nuld Aficionado, I thought I'd give it a shot. My one-word review:

AWESOME!

Perhaps I have devolved to the point where for me to truly enjoy a movie, I have to be surprised. Following movies too closely can spoil the plot, but it's easy to stay away from that. That's not what I'm talking about here. I am talking about expectations. If I go into a movie expecting to be blown away, and it is great but doesn't live up to the hype, it's still a disappointment.   

Prometheus is the perfect example here. A great movie, but it could never live up to 30+ years of Alien/Ridley Scott hype. The Last Stand is the opposite case. It came at me from the side, for the reasons above. Also, I didn't really hear much buzz about it. It seems everyone is waiting for the next Terminator/Predator/Conan Ah-nuld movie, and this little pic was just a small blip on the radar.

So am I ruining your movie experience simply by writing this? Probably! Look, Ah-nuld is older and will never be the physical star he once was. However, this movie acknowledges that, and plays to it. The action sequences were great, and there was a LOT of it. However, I have one thing for you to consider while you watch: flare gun. You'll know what I mean when you see it!!! Just see this one.