The Last Boy Scout (1991)

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Bruce Willis stars as a private eye trying to protect a stripper who thinks she’s in danger. When she ends up killed, her boyfriend, a disgraced football player (Damon Wayans), ingratiates himself to Willis to help discover who’s responsible for her murder. The story ends up involving corruption at the highest levels of government and professional football.

The Last Boy Scout is a cookie-cutter high-octane action picture like many released in the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s. If all you want is another one of those, then it might satisfy. It has the glossy stylings of director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Revenge), the star power of Die Hard‘s Bruce Willis, and tries very hard to capitalize on the success of the Lethal Weapon franchise — even going so far as to employ its screenwriter, Shane Black, and composer, Michael Kamen.

Willis, however, is on cruise mode in this movie — so cool and unbothered, he comes across as disinterested in the whole affair. Damon Wayans has a more interesting and lively character, but don’t expect the dynamic personalities found in Lethal Weapon, still the reigning king of buddy action movies. Young Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5) brings some fresh energy as Willis’ thirteen-year-old daughter who forces herself into some of her dad’s dangerous shenanigans and Taylor Negron is dutiful as one of the prime bad guys. His grisly demise is the film’s most visceral highlight.

Despite the talent involved, The Last Boy Scout only checks off the ingredients of an already established formula and offers very little of anything new. Even if more Lethal Weapon is what you’re looking for, you’d be much better off sticking with the three sequels in that much more entertaining series.

With Halle Berry in the thankless dead stripper role.