The last castle is unbelievably entertaining.
That may sound like high praise but when I say unbelievably , I mean I didn't believe a thing that I was seeing but it was definitely entertaining.
Robert Redford plays a court-martialed General who rallies together twelve hundred inmates to rise against a corrupt and sadistic warden played by James Gandolfini.
Robert Redford is a true movie superstar and he's pretty good in this considering his age but the star of this show is the brilliant James Gandolfini. His acting is subtle yet his every sound and facial movements say so much .
The story is ridiculous. Extremely ridiculous.
You could put this in the same bracket as Con Air , Face/Off and The Rock .
Extremely Entertaining but when you try to delve into the plot it makes you laugh .
The whole scene when the prisoners rise up and roll out a sling shot , hook a helicopter with a rope and have hand held catapults made me laugh out loud .
The prisoners were not believable either .
I know they were all military inmates but how they went from thugs to disciplined men was just silly .
Having said all I have I really enjoyed it . The time flew by and I was never bored and it's probably the last action film Robert Redford made and for 65 year old as the time he looked really good .
The Last Castle
2001
Action / Drama / Thriller
The Last Castle
2001
Action / Drama / Thriller
Plot summary
Robert Redford stars in this action drama as General Irwin, a respected three-star tactician whose career ends in disgrace when he's court-martialed and sent to The Castle, a maximum security military prison. Irwin quickly butts heads with the facility's autocratic warden, Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini),who runs his command with an iron fist, even killing prisoners when he deems it necessary. Irwin rallies his fellow convicts into a rag-tag army and leads them in a revolt against Winter, an action that the warden is ready to repel by violent means.
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Gandolfini is the star here
Some twists on the usual prison film
THE LAST CASTLE is yet another in the overcrowded genre of prison movies but somehow one that works. That it does so is thanks largely to the winning presence of Robert Redford in the lead role; he brings a quiet dignity to the part, a real focus that makes you believe in his character. The story bears similarities with the likes of COOL HAND LUKE, but the military prison backdrop offers a little novelty. James Gandolfini is commendable as the ruthless bad guy of the piece and the battle of wits between the two men is suitably dramatic. The last half hour becomes quite ridiculous but hugely satisfying with it, so it's a thumbs up from me.
Great actors but very unreal
Lt. Gen. Irwin (Robert Redford) is a war hero who got court-martial and sent to a maximum security military prison run be the cruel warden Col. Winter (James Gandolfini). Winter admires the popular Irwin. However Irwin doesn't see much in the paper pushing sycophant Winter. The two personalities clash.
This is a rather slow moving drama. Robert Redford is going for the strong silent type. His nobility clanks at times. His perfection grades. His speeches are too flowery. Gandolfini needs to revel in playing the villain. He doesn't do it with enough glee nor is he menacing enough. The story feels very unrealistic. It has a feel of fable. It doesn't make it better. It takes away the tension. At times, it feels like a fantasy. Then they have fantasy medieval siege warfare. It's somewhat fun, but completely unbelievable. The movie has great actors, but it doesn't add up to a great movie.