After unveiling the first poster on Tuesday, Lionsgate is wisely capitalizing on the enthusiasm for geriatric action inspired by this tomorrow's release of The Expendables 2. Schwarzenegger has a small part in that sequel, but The Last Stand is his first starring role since Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines way back in 2003.
Luckily, he never says "I'm back" or any variation thereupon in this trailer, though many of his interactions with other characters are treated with a wink and a nod to the fact that he's, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In contrast, he seems to playing a pretty dark guy with a past full of violence and what have you. Regardless, his dialogue here avoids too many polysyllabic minefields, so we don't get any of those Schwarzeneggerian pronunciations we love so well.
The high definition version of the above trailer is available to view at Apple.
This film marks the American debut of South Korean director Kim Jee-woon, who brought us the lovingly ludicrous western The Good, the Bad, and the Weird.
Since it's Schwarzenegger's first time at the center of an action movie, he's the big draw, but the supporting cast includes Knoxville, Eduardo Noriega, Jaimie Alexander, Peter Stormare, Genesis Rodriguez, Zach Gilford, Luis Guzman, Forest Whitaker, Harry Dean Stanton, and Rodrigo Santoro.
The Last Stand is scheduled to arrive in theaters January 18, 2013. Until then, check out this official synopsis:
After leaving his LAPD narcotics post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with remorse and regret, Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez’ path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.









































