WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Car genius Lino returns to conclude his vendetta against Areski and the corrupt commander who ruined their lives.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
“Last Bullet” continues right where “Lost Bullet 2” left off, with just sporadic reminders in dialogue to catch you up. The storyline is relatively easy to follow. Dirty cop Areski (Nicolas Duvauchelle) is on the lam from both gangsters and honest cops who will send him to prison. This movie wraps up the car-crazed cop saga of the earlier movies, though, in all fairness, I have no clue how much closure anyone really required. The actors are likable enough thanks to the decent actors, but the drugs-and-grubby-coppers plot underlying all is not necessarily breaking new ground. The Spanish authorities reclaim driver Lino (Alban Lenoir) in a swap with Spain for their dirty cop, Alvaro. Lino regroups with cop friend Julia (Stéfi Celma) to pursue Areski. What made “Lost Bullet” so much entertainment in the first place was the simplicity of the thing – neat dialogue, over-the-top crime characters, and some clever gimmicks that raised the bar on the sequels. Netflix has put out a couple of French cop action films since 2020, including “AKA” (also featuring Lenoir) and “Squad 36,” but none came close to the same place as the original. But “Last Bullet” isn’t far behind. The chase gets more complicated, with various groups chasing both Areski and Lino. For those who’ve watched all three films, there are still some unexpected collaborations and backstabs in this final installment. “Last Bullet” follows fugitive ex-cop Areski to Germany, where he’s importing drugs for a crime lord in an assumed identity. His own history soon catches up with him as he returns to France just when Lino reappears as part of an exchange deal. Lino wants to pin something on corrupt French Narcotics chief Alexander Resz (Gérard Lanvin). The movie starts on a high-speed motorcycle chase and cabin fight in which Areski proves nimble with firewood as a weapon. A later bus fight concludes with a chase running on for what seems like hours down French parks and public spaces. Resz wants to tie up loose ends prior to promotion and so puts his ridiculously powerful crime organization and himself against both Lino and Areski. Lino will not work with Areski, however, since Areski killed Lino’s teacher, Charas, in the previous film. Both men zip around like they have a point to make, but their own grudge is never as compelling as the crazy stunts they pull trying to keep up with one another. Without giving away anything that wasn’t in the trailer, I’ll just say that a battle between a helicopter and an enhanced tow truck sounds as awesome as it promises to be. The bus fight isn’t using the same terrain as the one in “Shang-Chi,” but the fight is intense in that confined space. American audiences get the added bonus of experiencing a French park chase and city square run-through. Areski’s initial scenes are frenetic and leave it absolutely clear why he’s Lino’s nemesis. Areski isn’t saddled with a complicated past. We’re simply reminded that he abandoned one of his girlfriends, Stella (Anne Serra), and now has to abandon another, Mathilde (Julia Engelbrecht), so he can escape from Resz and his intimidating bodyguard, Yuri. If they make a “Lost Bullet 4,” I’d like to see it as a new tale with Duvauchelle’s ne’er-do-well character at the lead. Lino’s specialty is repurposing run-of-the-mill vehicles into armored battering rams, and he builds his masterpiece for the ultimate confrontation. The last chase is on a deserted road – imagine Mad Max without the desert. The best car chases in “Last Bullet” confirms what the previous films suggested: the French just get the pleasure of watching cars crash, flip, and smash. A decent car chase between Lino and Areski gives the filmmakers a great vehicle, with the subtle but crucial gear shifting as they try to outmaneuver each other. The chase then moves into busier city streets, with practical and realistic-looking crashes. They probably used some CGI to ensure safety, but it is very convincing, like real cars at real locations. A highway fight on a public bus shows the weakness of otherwise polished action directing. The handheld camerawork can barely keep up with the stunt crew, who still provide a good spectacle. The car stunts are also much more defined and distinguishable because the camera naturally frames more of the vehicles in each shot. Taking a cue from old-school international action films doesn’t equate to “Last Bullet” not being original. The greatest genre pictures manage to present old, familiar elements such as car chases and fight scenes in new, innovative ways. The simple, comic book-straightforward story serves the action sequences well, driving the story forward. There are a couple of momentum-killing scenes with Resz and his co-conspirators and Inspector Moss (Pascale Arbillot) investigating Resz’s crimes. Thankfully, even the dullest bits don’t keep “Last Bullet” hurtling from one adrenaline-fueled fight to another. “Lost Bullet” was such a good first film by director Guillaume Pierret that the sequel can’t help but be less intense. The ending, however, ramps up all the ingredients of this action franchise. The lack of “Lost Bullet”-level sequels means this kind of film might be tougher to do than you think. “Last Bullet” is a plus to be directed by guys who have worked together on this particular genre film before and are not trying to please everyone. They do the hits with confident energy and get almost every stroke. Something new from these guys would be great, but more of the same would definitely hit the spot.
OUR RATING – A HIGH-OCTANE 7