Last Run

This is a bad movie. The story seemed decent enough. Sadly, that was before I saw the film. Eastern Europe, present, linked to happenings in the last period of the cold war. Our "Hero" tries to escort a man named Bukarin from one place to another. Bukarin is a man many people want. That's the main plot in this movie. For the details, just skip them. It's too difficult to get the whole picture anyway. The scriptwriters did a really lousy job writing the story for this movie, that's for sure. On top of that, the action scenes aren't thrilling either. And for the acting, well, just forget about it.

Avoid this one, it's just a big waste of time.

I think to say about this movie is that it's not bad for a B-film. Armand Assante has shown a lot of character and depth to his role. As Frank Banner, he doesn't liked to be jerked around by anyone, anywhere. When his pregnant wife was killed during the move of defectors, Frank took this thing very seriously. Bringing back the crew may not have been easy, it was worth the attempt. Giving the amount of money would make anyone comeback to work for the Government. Leo(Robert Foxxe) was a formative, yet seedy character who would do anything to put Banner on the payroll again. Filled with philosophical interpretations, this movie wasn't boring. And the sacrifices the fighters made were heroic. At least Jana, the widow of a fighter didn't lose her life. For Frank, he got the bigger pay than any of his superiors, if it wasn't for the book "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. This reaps the rewards to other spy films. It was subtly entertaining from the beginning to the end. Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

I might have enjoyed this movie more if I had been able to understand the dialogue. I THINK it was in English (mostly), but who could tell with all the mushmouths? I expected better from Armand Assante, at least.

Only one actor in this entire movie enunciated clearly enough for me to understand his lines, but unfortunately we don't see him until half way through the film.

That actor was the unforgettable Juergen Prochnow (best known for his role as the U-boat captain in DAS BOOT), as former KGB-chief Andrus Bukarin.

The plot was thin, the good guys were completely unbelievable as covert operatives, the ending was anti-climactic, and some of the scenes were downright laughable (like the one with the English (or was he an Aussie or a Kiwi? I couldn't quite nail the accent) speaking German to a Romanian circus girl).

I suppose this is what I get for being such a Prochnow junkie that I'll watch almost any movie in which he appears.

At least Wing Commander had a few good laughs (and overall excellent acting), particularly the send-up of DAS BOOT.

My best friend kept telling me about this movie he'd seen with his dad recently, "Last Run" with Armand Assante. So I finally rented it, and I'm glad I did. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it "knows what it is." That is, the filmmakers had a strict budget and it appears they worked hard to get everything they could on-screen without over-reaching themselves. The plot is pretty standard spy stuff--the action and Eastern European locations had me thinking of "Ronin" and "The Bourne Identity"--yet it was compelling to watch (the cemetery firefight was a thing of beauty).

Armand Assante chewed the scenery pretty well, which was a good thing--because when he emotes, he enunciates. But when he falls into his calmer, deep-throated growl, he might as well be speaking gibberish, he's so hard to understand. Again, not a perfect movie, but if you like the post-Cold War spy genre, you'll find this one worth a rental.

Sure, like most films of this genre there are some holes in the plot. But when it's filmed beautifully, in some stunning locations, and well- acted, especially by Armand Assante who spends the whole movie glowering as if he's about to explode, then it's easy to forget a few logic leaps and just enjoy this movie. There are some great chase sequences, and some good tension, and it keeps you guessing. Forgive the flaws, appreciate the scenery, and appreciate an above-average spy thriller.