The Last Boy Scout

"Everyone had counted them out. But they're about to get back in the game."

1991 1h 45m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

🥫

48%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 2,239🥫48%Rotten Tomatoes●52Metacritic★7IMDB · 119,810

ActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Somewhere in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams, a stripper is murdered. Now, the private detective she had hired and her ex-footballer boyfriend are going to find her murderer... if they don't kill each other first. But the more they dig, the deeper they become enmeshed in a web of extortion, blackmail and corrupt politics hidden beneath the surface of professional football.

“Everyone had counted them out. But they're about to get back in the game.”

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Cast

Bruce Willis
Joe Hallenbeck
Damon Wayans
James Alexander 'Jimmy' Dix
Chelsea Field
Sarah Hallenbeck
Noble Willingham
Sheldon Marcone
Taylor Negron
Milo
Danielle Harris
Darian Hallenbeck
Halle Berry
Cory
Bruce McGill
Mike Matthews

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tony Scott
Writers: Shane Black, Shane Black, Greg Hicks
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.9× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tony Scott, shot by Ward Russell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Mark Goldblatt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans and Chelsea Field carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Everyone had counted them out. But they're about to get back in the game.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0102266 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tony Scott directs. Ward Russell behind the camera. Michael Kamen scores. Mark Goldblatt cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.9× over at the box office.
235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Tony Scott, shot by Ward Russell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mark Goldblatt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans and Chelsea Field carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Everyone had counted them out. But they're about to get back in the game.".
8IMDB entry: tt0102266 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 22 themes, including "sniper", "assassin", "corruption", "bomb".
10Released under 25 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ward Russell
Original score: Michael Kamen
Editing: Mark Goldblatt
Production design: Brian Morris
Costume design: Marilyn Vance
Makeup / hair: Paul Abascal
Sound: Wayne Artman
Stunt coordinator: Charlie Picerni
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $29,000,000
Box office: $114,500,000
Return: 395% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Last Boy Scout (1991)
Rotten Tomatoes: 48% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 52/100
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 119,810 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

2 nominations total

Also by

Tony Scott

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Ville Lähde2019-11-21
I think this classic Tony Scott actioner with Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans just gets better and better when it gets older. I mean the film is nearly 30 years old and I have seen it at least a dozen of times and yet it managed to entertain me and fully packed Cinemadrome screening!It is written by Shane Black and I have to admit that this is Shane Black at his shaneblackest. The jokes are constant and witty and Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans make a great onscreen buddy couple. Not to mention great cavalcade of bad guys. If 80's and 90's action is your cup of tea, this is definitely something you need to see!
John Chard2020-04-05
★ 8/10
You know, for a dancer, he is one hell of a detective. Written by Shane Black and directed by Tony Scott, it's not the biggest surprise in the world to find that "The Last Boy Scout" is full of high octane action and serious one liners. Plot has Bruce Willis as a private detective whose protected female witness (Halle Berry) is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend - a disgraced gridiron star (Damon Wayans) - to investigate the crime together and all roads lead to the higher echelons of American Football. There's shades of "Die Hard" here, but really it's unfair to simply put it in the cash in on an action classic genre. Anyone who knows Shane Black's career will know that plot is secondary to action and dialogue, more so when Tony Scott is on directing duties. This may actually be Black's most under appreciated literary work (though it was a box office hit), his buddy buddy formula, that was so brilliantly realised with "Lethal Weapon", really shines here - making it Wayans' best work and Willis' most laconic. It's all a bit blokey, meaning that unless the girls watching are in it for the stars alone, they are sure to be disappointed by the machismo washing over the female characters of the piece. But this is electrifying stuff, both visually and orally. It's fun and thrilling, so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. 8/10

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