Rich359 I waited for years to see this film, and I must say its a complete disappointment. Not one second did I believe that George C. Scotts character would risk his life for the gangster and his moll. Trish Van Devere was completely miscast in this part, as she appears too nice to engage in the manipulation she dishes out in the film. Actually, all the characters are unbelievable, and the acting is self-conscious, as if everyone is aware they are in a production. Perhaps this is a result of the many script changes and change of directors,it has an uneven, pasted together feel to it. And was George C. Scott's character life so empty for him to align himself with these people? The film did not show that. In fact he seems to have some strong and loyal friendships in the beginning of the film. Please don't say I don't understand the film-I do, it just was not very good. To see a good film from writer Alan Sharpe's work, see "Night Moves."

davebeedon Possible spoiler about the endingOthers have adequately described the plot. I saw this movie shortly after it came out and loved it. Being able to see it again was a treat---like visiting a friend one hasn't seen in years (in this case, 34 years). The best aspect of the movie is that it respects the act of thinking and portrays it with pauses, facial expressions, and moments of no dialog. Underlying the main character's actions and attitudes was a bleak, fatalistic view of life (existentialism?). While I dislike "action" for action's sake, I enjoyed the car chase sequences because they served to define the main character's profession and mental state. And in spite of the well-shot car chases, this is not an action movie. Rather, it is about the actions that people take and the reasons for their doing so. Though the main character was a retired crook, I liked him, and felt sorry for him because he was double-crossed by his employers. It hurt me to see him discover that his fisherman friend Miguel had been killed. The young woman's cynical manipulation angered me but I felt sorry for her because she was making choices about life that were guaranteed to make it a miserable one. The Tony Musante character was immature, heartless, and despicable: I hated him. That he seemed to get away in the end was a letdown.Just before the end there is a pair of camera shots that reek of symbolism and were my favorite moments: when the policeman turns off the ignition of the battered car, the main character, who is elsewhere, dies. This understated and underrated film was a delight.

Robert D. Ruplenas I caught this film on TCM and watched it with great curiosity and expectation, never having heard of it, and of course intrigued by anything with the great George C. Scott in it. I understand perfectly what the movie is aiming at, i.e. a sort of "Old Man of The Sea" of the crime world. However, despite adequate performances and fine cinematography, it left me a bit cold. Although the point was made, something about the execution - script? direction? what ? - left a bit of a void. None the less it is worth watching for all Scott fans. (Of interest is the fact that Scott was married - at different times - to each of his female costars, Coleen Dewhurst and Trish Vandervere.)

Jonathon Dabell The Last Run was originally a John Huston project, but in the end it was taken up and completed by maverick director Richard Fleischer. Often, a change of personnel affects the film, but in this case, Fleischer has fashioned a decent thriller with picturesque locations and a tight plot.It's all about a getaway driver from Chicago who has settled down to a peaceful life in a Portugese fishing village. He is hired to drive a gangster and his girlfriend to the French border, under total assurance that the job is strictly routine. However, it turns out that the whole thing is a set-up, and that the gangster is the target of some killers. Getaway driver, gangster, and gangster's girlfriend all flee back to Portugal, pursued by their enemies.The characters are quite cold and cynical and don't appeal to the audience a great deal. This hurts the film, because it's awfully hard to care a damn about what happens to them. The film also suffers from a typically downbeat ending (as, indeed, many films from this era do). However, it has exciting moments and is always pleasing to the eye. The chase plot is gripping throughout and really helps to compensate for some of the not-so-good aspects.