When it comes to action movies centered around sports, I’m more of a Gymkata (1985) guy than a The Last Boy Scout (1991) guy. While I enjoyed both, there’s something lovable about Gymkata that I can’t ignore. The Last Boy Scout was a pretty big hit, and the movie centered around a private detective, an ex-football player, and a murder involving a football team, but they weren’t the only game in town. Also in 1991, Italian filmmaker Fabrizio De Angelis had his own idea for a football-themed action movie called The Last Match.
It doesn’t have the production value that Tony Scott’s mega-budget popcorn flick did, but it has an undeniable charm. Cauldron Films has brought it to Blu-ray, giving me an opportunity to finally watch this undiscovered cult classic.
Susan (Melissa Palmisano) and her boyfriend George (Rob Floyd) are finishing up their Caribbean vacation and head to the airport to fly back home to America. What should have been a simple flight quickly turns into a nightmare when someone hides drugs in Susan’s bag, and she’s detained. Not knowing what to do, George flees the airport to call her dad, Cliff Gaylor (Oliver Tobias), a famous pro football player. He hops on the first plane out and talks with the American Consul (Charles Napier), who tells him his hands are tied. He seeks out a local attorney (Martin Balsam) who offers up nothing but a quick visit.
Frustrated with the entire situation, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He’s not going in alone, though. His coach (Ernest Borgnine) and the rest of the football team have a plane full of weapons, and they’re ready to play the most important game of their lives.
Most of the film follows Tobias’ character as he moves from situation to situation, trying to get his daughter out of jail. The real meat and potatoes don’t occur until the final act, and what a glorious thirty minutes it is. The football team comprises war veterans and former military, so they’re ready to strike. They don’t wear fatigues to be stealthy around the prison; they’re fully dressed in their team uniforms, helmets, and pads.
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So, you get a bunch of football players running around with machine guns. It’s completely ridiculous, but I loved it so much. There’s a great moment with an exploding helicopter that has to be seen to be believed.
The cast, including the veteran actors, is quite enjoyable. Sadly, one of cinema’s greatest bad guys, Henry Silva, isn’t used enough, but at least he’s there to chew up his scenes. I could pick apart all the plot holes and continuity errors, but The Last Match isn’t about high art. It’s meant to entertain, and it does so on several levels.
Cauldron delivers a 4K restoration from the negative, giving the film a sleek look. The disc includes features such as an interview with effects artist Roberto Ricci, a mini-doc on American actors in Italian cinema, a commentary track, a trailer, and more.
It’s a cult classic patiently waiting to be discovered. The Last Match does exactly what a good football team should do: kick a field goal.
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