The Last Boy Scout
Published October 31, 2021
Film info
- Title The Last Boy Scout
- Director Tony Scott
- Year 1991
- Run time 1hr 45m
- Genres Thriller, Action
- Tagline The goal is to survive
Bruce Willis, Halle Berry and Damon Wayans star in this action-packed mystery about a demoralized private detective, a washed-up ex-football star and the stripper who binds them together. Somewhere in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams, a stripper is murdered. Now the private detective she had hired and her ex-footballer boyfriend are going to find her murderer... if they don't kill each other first. But the more they dig, the deeper they become enmeshed in a web of extortion, blackmail and corrupt politics hidden beneath hte surface of professional football.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 4:33 | Cheerleading in a poncho is not so glamorous. |
| 7:38 | That game took a turn, jeez. |
| 13:19 | “Obviously her teacher wants to see us.” |
| 16:49 | No way are you seeing that guy if you also have Bruce Willis. |
| 25:32 | This guy smokes A LOT. |
| 28:19 | Where does the phrase ‘what am I, chopped liver’ come from? |
| 30:31 | Whaaaaat? Not lovely Halle. |
| 37:59 | “Security system?” “Yea, I circumvented it.” |
| 47:23 | Cornelius! Epic middle name. |
| 56:26 | Dudley Do-Right sounds like an interesting character. |
| 1:00:10 | “I’ve got bad news and bad news.” |
| 1:09:59 | The casual way the bad guy talks about his plans. Oof! |
| 1:16:59 | Obnoxious little kid saves the day. |
| 1:20:25 | “Joe, if we travel any faster, we’re gonna go back in time.” |
| 1:24:58 | “I forgot to tell you, you’re wanted for murder.” |
| 1:33:09 | I hope the kid will respect her dad a bit more now. |
| 1:36:40 | Yay, he’s doing his little jig. |
Thoughts
I’d never even heard of this movie, and I think the title is a bit odd - it doesn’t really help you understand what you’re getting. Clearly, it was a shock and a disappointment when Halle Berry’s character was killed off just twenty minutes in, but if I’m honest, it was after that when things started to get going. The movie was very slow to start but once there was a specific crime to investigate, then it was all systems go.
It’s a mismatched buddy comedy, of which there are many, but it works well because it’s darker than a lot of them - they’re horrible to each other, they’ve got so many problems, the dialogue is questionable at times but somehow works because it fits the tone. The kid was absolutely terrifying for a 13 year old, but then she also saved the day…
It’s a really good film, but probably not one that changed the world.
Rating: 3 / 5