The Last Boy Scout (1991)

In the early 1990s Shane Black was the go-to guy in Hollywood for action blockbusters. After the success of Lethal Weapon his script for The Last Boy Scout was famously one of the most expensive ever sold, and having read most of it a few years back I can see why. His writing is funny, sharp and fast paced and very distinctive, it is a shame then that the actual film that resulted from this was so disappointing. Now I don't remember much of the script I read, and I don't doubt that some of the fault for the film lies at Black's feet, but by hiring Tony Scott (fresh from the success of Top Gun and Days of Thunder) what was a light hearted and offbeat buddy comedy is turned into a much more leaden action fare, with little of the spark or wit hinted at in those pages.
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Bruce Willis plays Joe Hallenbeck, a washed out and highly dysfunctional private detective who becomes embroiled in a high stakes case involving a senior politician and a pro football team. Along the way he (reluctantly) partners up with Damon Wayans' ex-footballer and hi-jinks ensue. To be fair to the film looking back now with the weight of 20 years worth of similar buddy-cop films on our culture's shoulders does it few favours. The typical beats are all here, the mismatched partners, the involvement of the hero's family (in this case his daughter, who mainly comes off as annoying) and the big explosions. The film has some fun set pieces and the performances are fine (Willis does a good line in downtrodden hardmen with a heart of gold), but as I mentioned lacks much to really set it apart. A couple of weeks after seeing it much of the film skips my mind, it's characters never quite gelling, and it's storyline forgettable.
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If you are in the mood for a fun and offbeat buddy cop film then may I steer you away from this and into Shane Blacks recent directorial debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which is superb and everything you get the feeling he intended this to be, it just took a little while for him to get it right.