Co-writer Shane Black of "Lethal Weapon" fame returns to the same territory with this often grim and seedy "buddy" action movie that also has a great levity to it, with some priceless quips that let us know that the movie isn't taking itself seriously all the time. Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans make for a fine team, respectively playing a sullen, boozy private eye and a disgraced former pro quarterback. Fate brings them together so they can take down the nefarious criminals attempting to legalize sports gambling, and planning on assassinating the one dirt bag politician who stands in their way. There are some melodramatic sequences, to be sure, but they do help us understand where the characters are coming from. The strongest aspect to the movie is the repartee between the two stars, who do as much male bonding as they do crime fighting. Willis is perfect for his part, and Wayans proved himself capable of good dramatic work here. The top notch supporting cast is full of familiar faces, with Noble Willingham and Taylor Negron, the latter usually associated with comedic roles, a delight as the nasty bad guys. It's hard to knock any movie featuring the likes of Danielle Harris, Halle Berry, Bruce McGill, Kim Coates, Chelcie Ross, and Joe Santos, among others. The movie is often incredibly violent, but we action fans just wouldn't have it any other way. Hell, we know we're in for a good time right from the start: after some amusing cheesy nonsense with the opening credits / musical number by Bill Medley, there's a grabber of an opening, featuring Billy Blanks as a quarterback right on the edge. Directed in typically stylish fashion by Tony Scott, this is just a lot of fun, leading to a lively climax at a football stadium. In the end, it serves to remind us, in the same manner that "Commando" did a few years previous, that roughing up / killing a bad guy just isn't the same without an appropriate witticism for the occasion. Eight out of 10.
Review of The Last Boy Scout
