"The Last Stand" marked Arnold Schwarzenegger's true return to the industry after his time as governor of California, making it his first major movie appearance (aside from joining the ensemble cast of "The Expendables") since 2003's "Terminator 3." Fans agree that, while it isn't anything groundbreaking, it could have been much worse. Redditor u/Kingy7777 wrote, "[The Last Stand] isn't a masterpiece or even a top tier action movie like 'The Raid' or 'John Wick,' but it's a solid R-rated action movie that doesn't have sci-fi or other genre elements." A now-deleted user agreed, saying although the plot is basic, it's "the best movie that Arnold has done since he returned to acting."
Meanwhile, u/kiusagi pointed out that it's a shame "The Last Stand" bombed at the box office, saying that, on top of its action, "the character development was actually quite good for an action movie," with many of the supporting actors given "just enough to do." On the other hand, u/yettibeats took issue with Johnny Knoxville's casting, wishing an actor more versed in comedic improvisation had gotten his part.
While "The Last Stand" hits some high notes, audiences think it's far from director Kim Jee-woon's best. Redditor u/saj175 said the movie was "decent," but they "prefer the director's previous movies." That sentiment was shared by u/ithinkther41am, who said "The Last Stand" left them a bit disappointed after seeing Jee-woon's other film, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird."
