The Last Boy Scout ***

“The Last Boy Scout” is one of Tony Scott’s most underrated movies. I can see why a lot of people might of shunned it. The characters are mostly vile and wretched, the violence is pretty extreme, and the plot is pretty over the top. But for my money it all works as pure entertainment.

The story follows an ex Secret Service agent and a former football quarterback who was barred because of illegal gambling, as they team up to find out who killed the football players girlfriend and why. This leads them to a large scandal where an evil senator is trying to get sports gambling legalized.

Bruce Willis is the ex agent who is now a Private Eye. Damon Wayans is the football player. Together they spend their time trading one liners and getting in to gun battles and chases.

The ninties were a good time for action films in my opinion. They were before the violence became toned down and created by computers. Everything had to be done practically and audiences craved gratuitous violence.

“The Last Boy Scout” would not work if it weren’t for the direction of Tony Scott. He makes an absurd setup work with great production values and high energy.

Revenge *

“Revenge” really left me at a loss for words. I was not sure which characters were really trying to get revenge to be honest.

Kevin Costner plays a fighter pilot who retires and heads down to Mexico to stay with a long time friend played by Anthony Quinn. Just so happens that Quinn is a dangerous gangster. Costner then begins an ill-advised affair with Quinn’s wife. He falls in love with her and the two travel away together in secret. When Quinn finds out he has Costner beaten and left for dead in the middle of nowhere.

If you can’t figure it out then you have not seen enough movies. Costner recovers and comes back to kill Quinn and his men. During his quest all I could really think about is how he had that beating coming. His character was so arrogant and Quinns wife so needy that they both left me wishing that they deserved each other.

The story here is so straight forward and off the shelf that the movie never has any suspense or surprises. Director Tony Scott brings nothing new to the tale at all. His visual style is evident from start to finish and the production is well directed, it’s just that the story is agonizingly predictable.