The Last Boy Scout

Every element is present and correct in this violent, smart-mouthed, buddy-buddy action comedy, with just enough of an ironic inflection to ensure that familiarity breeds content. Willis plays a washed-up LA private eye whose partner is killed after passing on a case. With his marriage on the rocks and his daughter under threat, he reluctantly teams up with sartorially smooth ex-football player Jimmy Dix (Wayans) to crack the case. Naturally, the initial murder is just the tip of an iceberg, which engulfs major league football, prime-time sports coverage, and the gambling interests of a ruthless businessman (Willingham). Limited though his range is, Willis was born to play this type of role; the bonus here is that his flip smarm is matched by Wayans' suave charm. Despite the testosterone-charged violence and jaw-dropping sexism, the tone is one of self-conscious excess - a strategy which constantly undercuts the film's celebration of male bonding conventions.