Watch The Last of the Finest
- R
- 1990
- 1 hr 46 min
-
5.8 (1,684)
The Last of the Finest is a 1990 action-drama film that follows a team of police detectives as they attempt to take down a drug ring in Los Angeles. The film stars Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano, and Jeff Fahey as members of the elite "special investigations unit," a group of officers tasked with targeting organized crime. Dennehy leads the team as Frank Daly, a grizzled veteran who's seen it all and is determined to bring down the drug dealers that have overrun his city. Pantoliano plays Wayne Gross, the team's loose cannon who's always looking for a fight. And Fahey is Ricky Rodriguez, a former member of the drug ring who's now working with the police to take them down from the inside.
The movie opens with the team carrying out a raid on a drug dealer's mansion, where they uncover a massive stash of drugs and money. From there, they follow a trail of evidence that leads them to a shipping container full of heroin, which they believe is being smuggled into the country by a rogue government agency.
As they investigate further, the team begins to suspect that someone on the inside is working with the drug ring, tipping them off to their every move. They're also hampered by bureaucracy and politics, with their superiors more concerned with covering their own backs than actually bringing the criminals to justice.
As the case heats up, the team finds themselves in increasingly dangerous situations, from shootouts with drug dealers to car chases through the streets of LA. Along the way, they form a tight bond and become more like a family than a group of colleagues.
The Last of the Finest is a movie that's equal parts action and drama, with plenty of tense moments and intense action sequences. But it's also a movie that's concerned with the toll that this kind of work can take on the people doing it. The characters are all deeply flawed, and each one is haunted by their own demons.
Dennehy's Frank is struggling with alcoholism and a failing marriage, while Pantoliano's Wayne is dealing with anger issues and a sense of disillusionment with the police force. Fahey's Ricky is torn between his loyalty to his former drug running friends and his allegiance to the police force.
The movie doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of police work, and it's a credit to the actors that they're able to bring these complicated characters to life in such a convincing way. Along with the three leads, there's also strong supporting performances from Bill Paxton as a corrupt cop, and Michael C. Gwynne as the team's by-the-books captain.
Despite the high stakes and the serious subject matter, the movie has a sense of humor that helps to balance out the intensity of the action. There are plenty of witty one-liners and moments of levity throughout, which serve to humanize the characters and make them more relatable.
Overall, The Last of the Finest is a solid action movie that's worth checking out for fans of the genre. It's well-written, well-acted, and does a good job of balancing the action with a more nuanced look at the toll that police work can take on those who do it.
The Last of the Finest is a 1990 mystery with a runtime of 1 hour and 46 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8.