Last Man Standing

Directed by Walter Hill, Last Man Standing follows Bruce Willis’ John Smith as he rolls into an isolated 1930s town and is subsequently drawn into a war between rival gangs. Filmmaker Hill, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a watchable yet entirely forgettable actioner that never becomes as gripping or engrossing as one might’ve anticipated, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the picture’s arms-length atmosphere is compounded by Lloyd Ahern’s dusty, far-from-appealing visuals and a sleepy and often egregiously deliberate pace. (And this is to say nothing of one’s efforts at keeping track of the many, many character names.) It’s worth noting, then, that Last Man Standing benefits from its assortment of violent action sequences and assortment of compelling performances, as, in terms of the latter, Willis’ compelling turn is matched by a seriously eclectic support cast that includes Bruce Dern, Leslie Mann, David Patrick Kelly, and Michael Imperioli. (Christopher Walken’s scene-stealing work as a feared gunman remains an obvious highlight, to be sure.) By the time the decent (but predictably underwhelming) climax rolls around, Last Man Standing has confirmed its place as passable endeavor that generally feels like it should be much, much better.

**1/2 out of ****