Nothing says ‘creative bankruptcy' like another underground assassin tournament.
From the very first seconds of The Last Gunfight's trailer, we're hit with a blast of déjà vu so strong, you'd think it was edited by ChatGPT on a caffeine bender. “You are welcome to use any weapons you find,” a voice barks, as the screen fills with dead-eyed actors posing with poorly lit firearms in a backlot that screams “abandoned AMC backlot in Burbank.” And here's the twist: there isn't one.
James Bamford—stuntman turned filmmaker turned maybe-we-should've-stopped-at-stuntman—returns with what looks like the cinematic equivalent of a soggy Hot Pocket. The premise? A bloodsport for the world's deadliest killers. One rogue team wants revenge. Sound familiar? That's because it is. Think Mortal Kombat meets The Hunger Games, if both had been shot on a shoestring budget and edited with a butter knife.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: It's not just lazy—it's legacy theft.
Let's talk about the title. The Last Gunfight? Stolen straight from the 1960 Japanese classic starring Toshiro Mifune—an actual masterwork of cinematic tension and moral ambiguity. This new “reboot” doesn't just borrow the name, it shreds the spirit.
Bamford's version stars Jon Voight (yes, really), Adam Woodward, Charlotte Vega, and a handful of other actors who probably asked “Wait, is this for streaming… or community theater?” Even the action—Bamford's supposed strength—is bland. Teh fight choreography looks like a TikTok skit with better lighting.
Hollywood keeps doing this. And we keep letting it.
Recycled assassin tournaments aren't new. But there's a pattern worth calling out. Since John Wick made bullets ballet in 2014, every second-tier studio has been chasing the “gun-fu” dragon. Remember Gunpowder Milkshake? Kate? Jolt? All flash, no soul. All algorithms, no art. The Last Gunfight might be the worst offender yet—not just because it's uninspired, but because it pretends to be something it's not: original.
Meanwhile, actual innovators—like Gareth Evans (The Raid) or even Chad Stahelski (John Wick)—are sidelined by studios more interested in IP grave-robbing than genuine storytelling.
So why does this still happen? Money. Eyeballs. Nostalgia on life support.
According to a 2023 Variety report, action-thrillers were among the top three most-watched genres on streaming platforms, despite low critical reception. Studios like Paramount are banking on quick clicks over long-term legacy. Slap a market-tested title on a low-budget shoot, cast a fading star, and pray the algorithm gods smile.
Would you risk 94 minutes for “revenge and a fortune worth killing for”? Or nah?
Look—some movies are bad in a fun way. Others are just bad. From the trailer, The Last Gunfight seems firmly in the latter camp. But maybe that's the game: make something so generic it blends into your Friday night scroll like background noise.
But hey, don't take my word for it. Watch the trailer. Or better yet—re-watch The Raid and pretend this never happened.
