Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a sheriff named Ray Owens in The Last Stand, and the film spends nearly two hours trying to convince you that a quiet border town can stop a drug lord from crossing the Mexican border. The premise is simple: Gabriel Cortez, a dangerous criminal, breaks out of federal custody in Las Vegas and drives a modified Corvette toward the desert, taking a hostage named Agent Ellen Richards along the way. Sheriff Owens, a former LAPD officer, is reluctant to get involved until his deputies are killed in the crossfire.
Kim Jee-woon directs the film, and the setup is pure exploitation. Schwarzenegger is back as the lead actor after a long absence, and the movie wants you to believe his presence alone is enough to carry the weight of a chase sequence and a final standoff. The film premiered on January 14, 2013, at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and it was released on January 18, 2013, by Lionsgate Films. Critics were mixed, and audiences did not respond warmly.
Trailer, via Lionsgate Movies.
Sheriff Owens and the Town of Sommerton Junction
Owens is a man who has left behind a career in narcotics enforcement after an operation went badly wrong. He now commands a small force of deputies in a quiet town, handling minor crimes like parking disputes and eccentric behavior from locals. The film establishes him as a man of routine and limited ambition before the arrival of Cortez forces him into action.
Johnny Knoxville plays Lewis Dinkum, an eccentric weapons collector who fires off guns at slabs of meat with the deputies. Jaimie Alexander plays Sarah Torrance, one of Owens’ deputies. Zach Gilford plays Jerry Bailey, another deputy. Kristen DeVore Rakes plays Agent Devers. Christiana Leucas plays Christie. Diana R. Lupo plays Magnet Girl. John Patrick Amedori plays Agent Mitchell. Forest Whitaker plays Agent John Bannister. Peter Stormare plays Burrell. Luis Guzmán plays Mike Figuerola. Genesis Rodriguez plays Agent Ellen Richards.
The town itself is the real star of the first act. It is a place of dusty streets, small houses, and a sheriff’s office that looks more like a convenience store than a law enforcement outpost. The film takes its time establishing the rhythms of daily life before Cortez arrives, and this slow burn is where the movie finds its best moments.
Cortez’s Escape and the Chase Begins
Cortez is a drug lord and race car driver who breaks out of an FBI prisoner transport in Las Vegas. He flees in a modified Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, taking Agent Ellen Richards as his hostage. His henchmen and mercenaries destroy a large roadblock in Bullhead City, Arizona, and the FBI loses track of him after he tricks an FBI helicopter. Agent John Bannister suspects a mole helped Cortez escape.
The chase sequence that follows is the heart of the film. Cortez drives at high speed across the desert, and the film tracks his progress with aerial shots and ground-level footage of his vehicle tearing through the landscape. The tension builds as Owens realizes that Cortez is headed directly toward his town.
The Battle at the Canyon
The climax of the film takes place at a canyon that marks the U.S.–Mexico border. Cortez’s henchman Thomas Burrell and his mercenaries assemble a bridge for him to cross. Owens and his deputies regroup at the sheriff’s station, and Bannister dispatches a SWAT team to secure the town. Cortez outmaneuvers them and forces a confrontation.
The battle at the canyon is the film’s centerpiece, and it is here that the movie’s flaws become impossible to ignore. The action is chaotic, the editing is frantic, and the logic of the situation collapses under the weight of spectacle. Owens is supposed to be a man of limited means facing a well-equipped criminal organization, but the film treats him as an equal to Cortez in terms of firepower and resources.
The Cast Carries What the Script Can’t
The cast is the film’s strongest asset. Schwarzenegger plays Owens with a gruff charm that recalls his earlier roles, and he commits fully to the material even when it strains credibility. Forest Whitaker plays Agent John Bannister with a weary intelligence, and his scenes with Schwarzenegger carry some of the film’s best dialogue.
Johnny Knoxville delivers a performance that leans into his established persona as a manic sidekick. Jaimie Alexander and Zach Gilford round out the ensemble as Owens’ deputies, and their deaths are treated with a matter-of-fact cruelty that grounds the film in a sense of danger. The rest of the supporting cast, including Peter Stormare and Luis Guzmán, are competent but largely interchangeable.
Where the Film Falls Short
The film’s biggest problem is its tone. It wants to be a serious thriller about a man protecting his community, but it keeps leaning into absurdity. The action sequences are over-the-top, and the villains are cartoonishly evil. This mismatch between tone and content creates a film that is neither a thoughtful drama nor a purely entertaining actioner.
The script also suffers from a lack of depth. Owens is a man of action, but the film never explores why he became a sheriff or what he hopes to achieve by stopping Cortez. The townspeople are background noise, and the town itself feels more like a set piece than a living place. The film’s tagline, “Not in his town. Not on his watch,” is a promise the movie cannot keep.
A Mixed Reception From Audiences and Critics
Critics were mixed on The Last Stand. The film grossed $48.3 million worldwide against a $45 million budget, which suggests audiences were underwhelmed. The film’s reception was modest, and it did not generate the kind of cultural momentum that would have turned it into a franchise.
The film’s failure to connect with audiences is not surprising. A film about a small-town sheriff stopping a drug lord from crossing the border requires a level of conviction that this movie never achieves. The film is content to coast on its premise and its cast, and it never digs deeper into the characters or the world it has created.
Comparing the Two Leads
| Lead | Role | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Sheriff Ray Owens | Commitment, charisma | Shallow characterization |
| Forest Whitaker | Agent John Bannister | Intelligence, presence | Limited screen time |
The Verdict on The Last Stand
The Last Stand is a flawed but occasionally compelling action thriller. It has a strong cast, a memorable premise, and a director with a distinctive visual style. But the film’s weaknesses are too numerous to ignore. The pacing is uneven, the tone is inconsistent, and the script fails to deliver on its promises.
The film is worth a look for fans of Schwarzenegger’s work or for those interested in seeing a director working outside his usual genre. But it is not a film that rewards repeated viewing, and it is certainly not a film that should be recommended to casual viewers.
The film’s legacy is modest. It is remembered as a comeback vehicle for Schwarzenegger and a showcase for Kim Jee-woon’s action direction. But it is not remembered as a great film, and it is not remembered as a failure. It simply exists, occupying a narrow space between the two.
The film’s final shot shows Owens standing atop a hill overlooking the town, looking exhausted but resolved. It is a moment of quiet dignity, and it is the closest the film comes to saying something meaningful. But the film’s overall tone is too loud and too frantic for that moment to land.
The film’s score reflects this middle ground. It is a middling effort that is neither a triumph nor a disaster. It is a film that is easy to watch but difficult to love. It is a film that is forgettable in the best of ways.
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