The Last Hunter

Mr. Antonio Margheriti, the uncrowned KING of Italian rip-offs, and his dynamic duo of charismatic actors David Steiner and John Steiner (though the latter only in a small role this time) strike again with this raw and excessively violent war-exploitation flick. Clearly inspired by the success of "The Deer Hunter" and a variety of other Hollywood films about the Vietnam War, but "The Last Hunter" goes straight for shocks, fast-paced and explosive action sequences and macho behavior instead of focusing on story-building, character drawings or – God forbid - underlying messages about the insanity of warfare. This film just loves the war in 'Nam and all dialogs like "Damn this country" or "I hate this awful war" are obviously insincere. Margheriti also couldn't resist providing his film with genuine horror aspect! The make-up effects are extremely gore (gorier than the ones in my horror movies for sure), with images of a soldier missing an eyeball, disembowelment after bombings and the severely decomposing bodies from dead parachutists falling from treetops. The battle sequences are long and exhilarating whilst the actual plot is thin and clichéd. In other words, just the way we like our Italian exploitation dish served! Captain Henry Morris (Warbeck) is assigned with the important mission of blowing up a Vietcong radio transmitter, located far behind enemy lines, which broadcasts demoralizing reports and encourages the American soldiers to throw away their guns and go back home. Morris' squad, which also includes a female report, gets killed and he's taken to a prisoner's camp for some inhumanly cruel torture. And yet, even whilst enduring the most excruciating pains, Morris intends to complete his mission, if it were only as a last tribute to all the friends and loyal soldiers he lost. Admittedly the script features every single Vietnam feature in the book, but hey, at least "The Last Hunter" is never boring and actually one of the most thrilling war movies ever made. You don't look for deep dialogs or complex characterizations here, just a lot of blood and delightful stereotypes. The "twist" at the end is extremely implausible and suddenly gives a somewhat stupid feeling to the whole movie. Truly ironic how the only remotely original twist in the entire script is also the most ludicrous one. Personally, I still like Margheriti's Indiana Jones rip offs better ("Hunters of the Golden Cobra", "Ark of the Sun God") and his ultimate masterpiece remains "Cannibal Apocalypse", but "The Last Hunter" is undoubtedly great low-brain entertainment and comes highly recommended!

Antonio Margheriti's (CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE) first Macaroni Combat film, a genre that would become his final mainstay, is an outrageously, over-the-top thrill ride with no political agenda whatsoever.

After witnessing the grim suicide of his shell-shocked buddy, a burned-out Army captain (David Warbeck, THE BEYOND) agrees to take on a final suicide mission with the help of two black soldier dudes (Tony King and Bobby Rhodes) and a fine-looking photojournalist (Tisa Farrow, ZOMBIE).

As the first Macaroni Combat film about Vietnam, THE LAST HUNTER certainly delivers the exploitation goodness with just a hint of brief nudity. Although the script from Dardano Sacchetti is filled with unintentionally hilarious dialog, mainstream audiences may be turned off by the lack of historical context. Warbeck gives a good performance that is a literal reminiscent of Martin Sheen's Willard from APOCALYPSE NOW.

And speaking of that Coppola epic, the Philippine locations in which the film was shot are in fact leftover sets. It comes to show that no matter how blatant the filmmakers are, THE LAST HUNTER is certainly a pleasure to look at just for the settings. Despite not being a good actress as her sister, Tisa does give some enthusiasm into the character and it works rather well.

Turn off your brains and enjoy the mindless Italian action.

I had the privelige to see this awesome movie on a huge screen in 1997, it was shown at a festival as a tribute to the late David Warbeck.

The opening sequence is truly stunning, a slow-burning scene in a brothel ends in huge explosions and sees Warbeck as an action hero in a white singlet years before Bruce Willis.

John Steiner once again shows his prowess as his squad is picked-off, leaving only Warbeck and the larger-breasted of the Farrow species (Tisa), to escape tiger-cages and discover the identity of a traitorous broadcaster.

Don't miss the final shot of Warbeck against the war-torn sunset, left to his fate in the jungle. It's a real kick in the guts, with the same power of seeing Martin Sheen rising from a swamp.

The one problem the movie really has is that the identity of the mysterious traitor is quite ridiculous, but not enough to grind things to a halt.

All in all, one to put at the top of your "must-get" list, right above beer, pizza and peanuts.

Director Antonio Margheriti's Vietnam piece is bound to be loved by some audiences and hated by others. This is simply not a film for all tastes. On the surface, it looks like cruel exploitation of a controversial war; exploiting Vietnam was certainly a risky move in 1980. Dig a little deeper, though, and "The Last Hunter" becomes a brutal allegory on the futility of warfare.

Margheriti tells a straightforward tale: Captain Morris (David Warbeck) heads into Cambodia with a small band of soldiers on a mission to find and destroy an enemy radio station which is broadcasting disgusting anti-American propaganda. Along the way, he encounters many people and situations which point to the ultimate insanity of warfare.

Margheriti begins his tale with one of the best opening sequences ever put to film. Morris tries to relax in a Saigon bar, making conversation with another GI whom he's never met. Soft music plays in the background, providing a perfect tempo for the dialog. It's not long, however, before Morris realizes that he escape the realities of the war outside. The music stops abruptly as the tone changes from quiet to tense: Steve has been aggravated by the aforementioned GI. He shoots him in the head, and then turns the gun on himself. As if on key, enemy sappers attack the city, and the bar is destroyed; only Morris escapes. A first-time viewer may see this scene as unnecessary, but the characters and themes will become crucial to the plot as Morris moves closer and closer to his objective.

With the mood established and the audience glued to the screen, Margheriti shifts his focus to the Cambodian jungle. Morris is escorted to the drop-off point by helicopter in yet another excellently shot sequence: Franco Micalazzi's score comes out full force for just a few moments as the action builds, and then dies. Margheriti lets some great hand-held camera action and excellent, fast-paced editing do the work. This scene will be followed by a number of quick, brutal action sequences: the discovery a rotting corpse, an ambush by a band of Viet Cong in a burned-out village; and a great sequence in which Massimo Vanni's character is forced to run into the jungle under enemy fire to retrieve cocoanuts for the unhinged Major Cash (John Steiner). The high point of the action is definitely a Viet Cong raid on an underground American bunker complex, in which hordes of black-pajama-clad guerrillas emerge and a firefight ensues. For the most part, the American characters are drunk or stoned and don't seem to know what's going on. This long sequence is shot in the dark with hand-held cameras, features lots of cutting from action to reaction – all while a radio plays happy tunes in the background.

All of this builds to a pulsating surprise ending. Morris does find his radio station – the audience knows he will from the start; it's no surprise in a film like this – but the voice of propaganda will come as a shock as all of the pieces laid out in the opening scenes and flashbacks come together. We've had some subtle hints and little suggestions as to who Morris is going to encounter, but nobody will come to the conclusion until the character steps into frame. The result is a jaw-dropping scene with an outcome that goes completely against the norm. The final shot of the piece is one of confusion, awe and surprise – we never do get to find out what happens to an essential character. If the violence and pure insanity of most of the movie don't shock you, the last two few minutes surely will.

Admittedly, "The Last Hunter" is not a perfect film: basic plot aspects are lifted directly from "Apocalypse Now" – Morris' character is a take on Martin Sheen, while Major Cash and his bunch seem to be loosely based on Marlon Brando's guerrilla force. Instead of a trek upriver in a small boat, we follow a mixed group of soldiers through the sweltering jungles. (Only here, they're too busy dodging booby traps to discuss heavy issues of morality). More blatantly, a sequence depicting Morris' imprisonment in an underwater bamboo cage reeks of "The Deer Hunter". Some of the special effects scenes come up a bit below par for a 1980s film: watch for a dummy which gets flamed during the village skirmish; superimposed rocket bursts around a helicopter; and there are a few cheesy miniatures.

These are only minor flaws. "The Last Hunter" is an anti-war gem which can be enjoyed by fans of Italian exploitation (Margheriti said that he wanted to shoot the film seriously; the producers forced him to throw in exploitative content to draw in fans of his successful horror works). Any serious war film fans that can make it through the opening without dismissing this as graphic trash will not be disappointed. It's not often that a director can make a great action picture that's still considered an anti-war piece.

The Last Hunter (1980)

*** (out of 4)

Set during the Vietnam War, Captain Morris (David Warbeck) agrees to go on a secret mission behind enemy lines where he meets up with some other soldiers and a photographer (Tisa Farrow). The group heads deep into the jungle where they face the enemy as well as some of their own who are just as bad as the Vietnamese.

Antonio Margheriti's THE LAST HUNTER is an entertaining rip-off of countless American Vietnam movies that were being pumped out by Hollywood. This one borrows from several of them but it seems the biggest influence on this film was THE DEER HUNTER. If you're a fan of Italian cinema then you'll certainly want to check this one out as there's plenty of wild, over-the-top action as well as plenty of sleaze, which is exactly what you'd expect from a film like this.

As you should expect, Margheriti does a very good job with the material as I'm sure they were working on a very small budget yet the film looks very professional and features some great action sequences. The highlight of the film is an insane shoot out in an American compound as the soldiers get a bit too relaxed and come under attack. This sequence features a lot of shooting, explosions and of course blood. Speaking of blood, if you like gore then you'll get plenty of that here with some rather insane moments of violence including an eye wound that would make Lucio Fulci proud.

The film also benefits from a nice cast to help keep you entertained. Warbeck is as fun as you'd expect him to be as he does a very good job in the lead role. He's such a fun actor that he can hold your attention throughout the running time. Farrow does a surprising nude scene here and she too is fun to watch. Obviously the two of them would appear in separate films by Fulci so it was fun getting to see them here. Former football star Tony King is also a lot of fun here as is Bobby Rhodes and John Steiner.

THE LAST HUNTER isn't a film that's meant to be taken serious. I'd argue that its ending is the weakest thing about the picture but if you're a fan of action, gore and Italian craziness then it's certainly worth watching.