The Last of the Finest (1990)

While I can't say "Last of the Finest" will go down as one of the most memorable films ever made, I am a bit surprised at how few reviews there are for it on this site since it is pretty decent for what it is. The movie is about a squad of four elite vice cops, who take their favorite past time of football just as seriously as do their job. They were formed to do the stuff that the ordinary cops couldn't. But when they start hitting brick walls after a failed drug bust, they begin to suspect that their superiors and possibly even some powerful players in the US government are involved in the drug trade in order to support some rebels fighting in Central America. So in order to find out the truth, they decide to resign and work outside the law. Admittedly this probably sounds similar to other films you might have seen. But the film manages to maintain it's own feel, manly due to the camaraderie and chemistry among the actors who play our heroes. You have the always enjoyable Brian Dennehy as the group's leader Frank, Joe Pantoliano as Wayne, Jeff Fahey as Ricky, and Brian Paxton as Hojo. All play their parts well and Brian Dennehy is able to shine as the one of the good guys instead of the usual heavies he's played through out his career.

And while the story may not be the most original ever written, it is one that has good dialog and also one that has an important message under the surface: Never, under any circumstances, trust your government, especially when they claim to be doing something for the common good! The film especially shows this at the very end in a sly, clever way. When you see it, you'll know what I mean. The movie does start out a little slow but at the same time you do get a chance to really know the characters and care about them. The movie also has some pretty decent villains in the form of Michael C. Gwynne as the Slimy Anthony Reece and Guy Boyd as Norringer. Like I mentioned earlier, the film seems to have gone under the radar. Perhaps it's because the market was already saturated with cop-buddy films at that time and the audience probably was getting tired of them by then. Still, if you should find yourself with nothing to do and are looking for a decent cop film, give "Last of the Finest" a chance.