Critics’ reviews

The Last Boy Scout (1991)

9 reviews from 9 publications. Critics’ score 64: 4 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative.

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64
Positive
4
Mixed
4
Negative
1

The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans’ chemistry, the sharp put-downs and the elaborate action. Most critics find something to enjoy in the hard-edged humour, even when the buddy-action formula feels familiar. The stronger notices welcome its nastiness and ironic edge rather than treating them as obstacles. Slant Magazine particularly admires Tony Scott’s busy visual style and his smoggy, heat-shimmered Los Angeles.

The reservations concern how little the plot matters once the shooting starts, alongside the thin treatment of women. There is a wide spread between enthusiastic genre recommendations and outright rejection, though several reviews settle on entertaining but unremarkable. The Los Angeles Times is the clearest dissenter, finding the film slick and empty despite admiring the editing and Willis’s weary performance. The central divide is over whether the jokes and action compensate for the familiar plotting and bloodshed.

Slant Magazine
4 October 2026 · ★★★★ · Jake Cole
80

Cole calls the film a delightfully nasty, sardonic action noir and says Arrow’s UHD presents it in all its grimy glory. He singles out Tony Scott’s more-is-more visual style, especially its smoggy, heat-shimmered Los Angeles.

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Empire
1 January 2000 · Jo Berry
75*

Berry finds the film nearly five-star action entertainment, recommending it to fans of the genre. She praises the fast, funny one-liners and Willis and Wayans’ delivery, while criticizing the thin portrayal of women.

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Time Out
· NF
70*

The review presents the film as a successful, familiar action comedy with an ironic edge. It praises the elements as well executed and the smart-mouthed tone.

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The New York Times
13 December 1991
64*

The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its headline frames the film around a struggling private eye, but offers no specific praise or complaint.

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RogerEbert.com
13 December 1991 · ★★½/4 · Roger Ebert
62

Ebert gives the film a mixed verdict, finding its buddy-action formula more familiar than compelling. He singles out the film’s hard-edged, jokey tone as part of its appeal.

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Radio Times
★★★ · Alan Jones
60

Jones calls it a flashy, foul-mouthed action film that sacrifices plot for shoot-outs and car chases. He says the engaging chemistry between Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans, along with their snappy put-downs, lifts it above the ordinary.

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Variety
31 December 1990 · Variety Staff
60*

The critic finds the film entertaining but ultimately unremarkable, calling it a mindless shoot-'em-up. They praise its amusing juvenile put-downs and elaborate action sequences, while noting that the tangled plot is often resolved through violence.

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Los Angeles Times
13 December 1991 · MICHAEL WILMINGTON
30*

Wilmington finds the film slick, empty, and overly confident in its blood-soaked escapism. He praises the editing, Bill Medley’s singing, Noble Willingham’s villainy, and Bruce Willis’s weary performance.

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Den of Geek
31 May 2013 · Matt Edwards
80*

Edwards finds the film an overlooked, entertaining action movie that falls short of its potential. He particularly praises Shane Black’s sharp script and inventive action, while criticizing the treatment of women and the awkward ending.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate