The Last Chase (1981/Code Red DVD)
Picture: C Sound: C Extras: C Film: D
Many movies, whether from the left or the
right of the political spectrum, have an agenda they push. A message purporting a certain
viewpoint. The best of these films
possess nuance, a subtlety of message that at least acknowledges the other
side. The Last Chase (1981)
is not one of these movies. This
right-wing, post-apocalyptic fantasy fever-dream possesses all of the subtlety
of a Gallagher performance. Lee Majors
stars as ex-racer Franklyn Hart (not to be confused with the mean boss in 9 To 5), a man caught in a “future”
America where oil has seemingly run out, a plague has denuded the population,
and citizens are dominated by a fascist government that forces them to endure
the unthinkable evil of mass transit.
Yes, the metro is your enemy, but you better learn to love it, citizen,
or you’ll be treated to bed and breakfast at your local re-education center!
Yes, the film pushes a somewhat tenuous
link between personal autonomy and gas-powered automobiles. The very idea completely discounts the power
of American innovation to solve complex problems. If oil did indeed reach a peak, and then
subsequently disappear from the market, wouldn’t American scientists race to
develop electric, solar, and other alternate fuel vehicles? Aren’t we doing this right now?
Mr. Majors sleepwalks through this hack-job
not so ably assisted by actors Chris Makepeace and Harvey Atkin (both fresh off
tour de force performances in 1979’s Meatballs). Once Majors’ character and the young
proto-hacker Ring (played by Makepeace) flaunt authority and take off in a
Porsche race car, a grizzled combat pilot is called out of retirement to put a
stop to their cross-country trip. In
perhaps some of the worst casting in cinema history, Burgess Meredith plays
Captain J.G. Williams, the one-time war hero and ace pilot--what, Ernest
Borgnine was not available?
This film fails epically on every
level. The performances are tepid, the
plot is shoddy, the villainization of mass transit is laughable, and the
picture and sound are reminiscent of a camcorder taping of a local television
broadcast of the film. The
anamorephcially enahnced 1.78 X 1 image is soft, looking like it came from a
16mm print though thyis was supposedly shot in 35mm and the Dolby Digital 2.0
Mono soundtarck that sounds a few generations down and does a disservice to Gil
Melle’s score. Extras includes
director’s feature length audiuo commentary not even noted on the case, two
interviews, trailers for other Code Red releases, which is ironic since work is
they may be folding and amusing when the makers tyr to make this into something
it is not.
If you’re searching for a Lee Majors fix,
skip this disc and instead seek out some episodes of Fall Guy or The
Six Million Dollar Man, both reviewed elsewhere on this site. The Last Chase will leave you
wishing for the first metro ride out of the living room.
-
Scott Pyle
