The Last of the Finest

Outstanding acting from Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano, Jeff Fahey, and Bill Paxton vaults this vigilante cop film into way above average territory. While character development is good for the good guys, it is rather skimpy when it comes to the villains. This does not detract enough to spoil the fun however. There is nice chemistry between the rogue cops, and the script though derivative is totally acceptable. It's rare to get the kind of likable performances delivered in "The Last of the Finest" from all four leads. Special mention must be made of the stunt work, because it's good, and the movie has some very unusual and exciting parts. This is a real surprise, and fans of the actors will not be disappointed. - MERK

The Last of the Finest, also released as Street Legal, is a fair action film from 1990, starring Brian Dennehy as Officer Frank Daly of the LAPD, and he and his fellow officers (Joe Pantoliano, Jeff Fahey and Bill Paxton) are up aganist a drug operaton headed by a US Government agent (Guy Boyd). After the investigation grows cold, Daly is forced to turn in his badge, but he takes matters into his own hands and also doesn't realize that his former police captain (Henry Darrow) is also apart of the operation. After Bill Paxton's character is killed, Daly does what any honest cop would, to bring justice back, or let the Government get away with the crime. Director John MacKenzie tries to build up a good cop story, but seems to rely mostly on tongue in check, not to mention some slow moving scenes, without action or adventure. However the ending showdown on a Los Angeles football field was pretty good, the helicopter crash looked rather authentic. But like most early 90's action films, The Last of the Finest is an average film most of us have probably seen.

This is a radical change from the movies of today that MUST have an X rated scene, lots of noise, lots of face to face rhetoric that means nothing, and who could miss the windshield that doesn't leak with 6 bullet holes.

I had viewed it many years ago, but just last week found a VHS, which really shows the changes in the movie industry. For one thing, there was no shot thru the heart and lives scenes. True, some risky theatrics with dangerous people, but not like a Harrison Ford/James Bond film bordering on Science Fiction.

They selected a group of actors for everyday-like people of lean means, who are proud to be honest.

The plot is totally believable in today's major crime activities. And it has a believable ending.

I saw this on TV and was disappointed in how small a role Bill Paxton had in it. He was the main reason I was interested in seeing it. The movie is not that bad, but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before, either. If you're interested in cop dramas, this one is average.

This movie is about what you would expect just from the title and looking at the art on the DVD box. It's a bunch of expert, no nonsense drug cops who are in a war against drugs and there turns out to be corruption high up the ladder. So they have to fight against the odds to keep their war against crime going. Some surprisingly good acting by some decent actors like Dennehy and Pantoliano (spelling?), this one is worth watching if you get a chance.