Rating: 
Summary: Not a gay culture movie
Review: Once in awhile there is a movie that promotes something that we have lost long time ago.
No one remember what it means to be a man anymore. This movie is not for Back Street Boys or Spice Girls. But I hope we still have people in a real life that at least partially close to great characters pictured in this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Predicted, nevertheless interesting to watch.
Review: I will start with the bottom line: in spite of what I will write further on, this movie is exciting to watch, has clear "good and "bad" sides and a satisfying ending coming after several thrilling fight scenes.
Before the bottom line I will write this: the story is one you know and have seen before. This means you can guess quite well what will be the next step and who will be "sacrificed for the cause". The movie is a combination of the "sport" genre where a group of (football/basketball... etc.) losers is trained by the has-been coach which succeeds in overcoming his own problems and making the bunch of losers into a real winning team (lesson # 1 - working together is important) and the prison movie genre - which always starts with its message of "mind your own business" - and hence the conflict of these two messages until the clear victory of one message - yes, you guessed right.
But I do not mean to be cynical. The movie is captivating and you are very much interested to know what will happen to General Eugene Irwin (Robert Redford), a decorated war hero sent to a 10 year sentence in a military jail and if he is going to survive the first weeks in prison and not hang himself as the other inmates anticipate and gamble on. We are very much interested to find out what will happen to the dynamics between Irwin and the prisoners he joins. Also, what did Irwin do to get himself in prison? The answer is only a little revealed through the movie - yet not in full. The fact that Irwin is in prison does not harm viewers and inmates perception of Irwin as a leader and a war hero and the guess is that the reason for his being in prison has something to do with a moral dilemma after which he has decided to "mind his own business" from now on. Robert Redford is Robert Redford. No surprises here. He plays a very rational, somewhat bitter and quite truthful person who knows how to hold himself well in all situations. Irwin is indeed a leader and Redford is able to project his quiet strong power which has the prisoners following him. However, not a surprising figure for Redford and not a lot different then his previous roles.
Playing opposite Redford is Gandolfini as Colonel Winter, the prisoner warden - one that is no real match for General Irwin. Winter gains power by fear and punishment while Irwin gains power by respect . Gandolfini does play a different character then the one we usually see him in. Whereas in the Sopranos his heavy physique and gestures are taken as intimidating and menacing and yet he manages to remain loveable and even humorous, there is nothing humorous about Warden Winter. Throughout the movie we see him deteriorating until his last cover is exposed for what he really is. This character too was quite simplistic and predictable.
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT THRILLER
Review: this movie sold me on robert redford im 24 and this is his first movie ive seen and for an older man he does an excellent job! he plays a famous war hero now in military prison when he learns the james gandalfino a mlitary wannabe abuses and even kills inmates this movie deserves to be in your collection
Rating:
Summary: Superb Study of Leadership and Use of Power
Review: Tightly plotted and filmed, The Last Castle is a great film. I use it in my graduate-level classes to illustrate leadership skills and use of power. Really makes these "textbook " concepts come alive for students.
Redford is subtle and even-handed in his portrayal of the imprisoned general who cannot seem to help antagonizing and rooting out the brutal and pompous prison commander. Overall, a classy film, not melodramatic or sloppily sentimental. Very well crafted, tight, without an extraneous scene anywhere, this picture really holds up as a potential classic.
Rating:
Summary: No contest as Robert Redford takes down James Gandolfini
Review: My thought is that James Gandolfini or any action on the face of the planet is not going to turn down an opportunity to act in a movie with Robert Redford, so that means the only reason question is why Redford signed up for this film. For that I have come up with two explanations. The first is that the victory of good men over the tyranny of an evil person in a position of power appeals to Redford's political sensibilities. The other is that "Brubaker" was a seminal experience in his film career and he wanted to try a prison picture from the other side of the bars. Take your pick or make up a reason of your own.The film begins with a voice over narration by Redford enumerating the four key elements that define a castle. You are advised to pay attention to this list because these elements will come into play in the climax of the film where the metaphor of "The Last Castle" is exploited for everything it is worth. In one sense this is a fairly standard film where the hero is a prisoner who decides to take on the brutal prison warden. The fundamental twist is that it is a military prison, so Redford's character, Lieutenant General Eugene Irwin, has some dormant sensibilities that he can restore in the men. On the one hand the film avoids the cliche of Irwin being innocent; he freely admits he was guilty of the crime for which he is being punished (and while the crime is not exactly laid out completely later in the film there is enough of a hole in what we learn to continue thinking Irwin was, at least on some significant level, doing the "right" thing). Gandolfini plays Colnel Winter, who Irwin correctly pegs on the basis of his collection of Civil War bullets as someone who has never been in combat. However, that proves to be the least of Winter's problems because the man has come up with his own ideas regarding how to manage brutal prisoners. At one point we find out Winter has been cleared in three investigations, which is the point at which I want to start banging my head against the wall at the idea that there is no difference between the men who run military prisons in the 21st century and those who worked the torture chambers of the Spanish Inquisition, not to mention the fact that the Judge Advocate's office of the U.S. Army is totally incompetent. Winters is stupid and predictable (sort of like this movie) and we know Irwin will take him down just as soon as he decides to wake up and smell the rubber bullets striking prisoners down at Winter's command. The key to the film, which is clear pretty early on, is that Irwin is going to be one step ahead of Winter once he gets in gear and decides the prison commander needs to be removed from his post. After all, Irwin was a P.O.W. in North Vietnam, still baring the scars of his torture, so Winter and crew have a long way to go to give him a new experience in hell on earth. I think half way through the movie you know pretty much what is going to happen at the end and the only reason question are the specifics on how this will be accomplished (Director Rod Lurie gets credit for throwing a red herring at us that I thought was giving away too much of the ending). David Scarpa's story/script is basically one of those works that echoes dozens of films, not just prison films in the tradition of "The Shawshank Redemption" but also other films from "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." If you take "The Last Castle" as pure Hollywood escapism (i.e.., disengage brain and forget about the way the real world functions) you can enjoy it. The acting and direction are both competent, even if you are left with the definite impression that Redford is on auto-pilot and the fact that Gandolfini is not given all that much to do but look out a window and spout threats. As for the idea Redford is too old to be an action hero, I would not say carrying rocks around constitutes "action" per se.
Rating:
Summary: A great prison drama/action film.
Review: Redford and Gandolfini are great in this movie. A must see film that has a nice blend of drama and action.One of the best endings for a film I have ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't Believe Redford Signed on for this Movie
Review: After watching this movie, I was in disbelief that Redford and Gandolfini actually agreed to be a part of such a half-rate film. I mean did they not look at the screenplay beforehand. Halfway through the movie I found myself siding with Gandolfini's character, who was supposed to be the villain of the movie. That is how undeveloped and poorly done this movie is. Save yourself the disappointment!
Rating:
Summary: A Prison Drama We Have Seen Before, But Still Engaging
Review: Director Rod Lurie's follow-up of "The Contender" raises his patriotic tone higher than before, and gives an intriguging setting of the film, but as he did before, sacrifices its potentially complex nature of patriotism. Instead of making full use of the interesting situation, "The Last Castle" goes in a very familar territory where many previous prison dramas have treaded before. But ... here's an irony ... the film is very engaging and entertaining as the latter. Robert Redford is General Irwin (and three-star general), who disobeyed a direct order from the President and was found guilty at court marshal. Irwin, now stripped of his honor, is sent to the prison where Col. Winter (James Gandolfini) maneges with strict rules. At first, Irwin was thinking of nothing but "doing time, and going home," dreaming of the day (ten years ahead) when he can play chess with his still unseen grandson. But the situation around him, which is so severe for some inmates of the prison, wakes up something in Irwin: his anger against injustice. With his leadership, the convicted men, once deprived of pride, now believe that he is the man to rely on, and start to follow him. In 1980, Robert Redford was in a similar (but with a totally diffrent tone) film called "Brubaker." If you remember that, or have the fresh memory of "Shawshank" and many other dramas set in prison, it is not hard for you to guess the development of the story. I must say here that for all its predictable plot, "The Last Castle" never fails to grab your attention. After all, Redford is always good at playing this type of hero, and Gandolfini supplies us exactly the kind of man who should be despised and ridiculed. Delroy Lindo's cameo gives a fresh air at the right moment, and you also got an uncredited appearance of one famous actress R.W. (or R.W.P.) as Irwin's daughter. However, some might find problems right with those things -- Redford did too many roles like this in the past back from the 1970s, and he can do it while sleeping. Gandolfini pumps up his acting, and probably that is suitable for this kind of person, but if you have seen "The Mexican" (and yes, "The Sopranos") you know he can do it better than that, and could have shown more complicated side of the character. Inexplicably, Col. Winter seems to have his say at some moment (when he talks about his predecessor), but he is not allowed to do that. That is manipulating, some might say, considering the difficult nature of his job at prison. I agree with them. There are even swell action scenes; there is a character who you judge soon is going to get killed, and you judge it right. There are many elements we find in prison dramas, and if you complain them, you will dislike the film. Your complaint is justified; only, you just have to forget it, to enjoy the drama which is in itself very gripping. But talking about the "waving flag," I just don't think that the US military system needs drastic events of this magnitude. See this one as a good textbook about the quality of leadership, and as an absorbing tale of men and their pride. As such "The Last Castle" should be seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed Heroes
Review: Lt Gen Eugene Irwin (Robert Redford) has been sent to prison for causing the death of eight of his men by disobeying a direct executive order. The prison he has been sent to is run by Col Winter (James Gandolfini), a man who greatly admires Irwin. However, Winter has no illusions about what Irwin is there for and he also has no doubts about how he runs the prison. Winter's tactics in controlling the prison can be described as criminal. He has gone so far as to condone the killing of prisoners and then covering them up as accidents. The prisoners want Winter gone but are effectively divided by Winter's tactics to keep from pursuing that goal until Irwin arrives to martial them to it. The action sequences aside, "The Last Castle" is an effective story about flawed greatness. Both Irwin and Winter are great men within their own spheres, Iwrin as a military leader and Winter as a warden. Both men have received laurels for their successes but both have won those laurels at a price. It can be said that Irwin is the more honorable of the two, but there is a murkiness to his honor. It always seems that, below the surface, the honor he earned he did so for himself and not the country he served. His final honorable act, leading the prisoners in their efforts to remove Winter, seems to be his final act of contrition, the act which unburdens him of his past mistakes. Winter, on the other hand, appears unmoved by the viciousness of his tactics. He appears to be at the same stage that Irwin may have been 15 years ago. By the end of the film we see Winter approaching the point that Irwin was at its beginning. "The Last Castle" is also a good movie from a purely acting standpoint. Both Redford and Gandolfini are expert actors who have made careers out of playing flawed heroes. The supporting acting is a bit thin at times but strong enough, especially in the person of Clifton Collins, who played Cpl Aguilar. Collins applies the right amount of remorseful sheepishness to draw out Irwin's sympathy without making his character seem pathetic, which would have negated his later act of bravery. As with most big budget Hollywood films, there are some technical aspects of the film that aren't quite up to snuff. A large bone of contention with me is the old "the good guys never miss their mark while the bad guys couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat" syndrome which plagues these types of movies. But, the action sequences are secondary to this story as it is really about the reactions and growth of Irwin and Winter, not about how Irwin takes the castle.
Rating:
Summary: A great popcorn flick, but could have been more
Review: On its surface, The Last Castle is an enjoyable action flick carrying some meaningful messages. But upon closer scrutiny, there's not much below that surface. The story is definitely an entertaining one. Robert Redford plays a court martialed three-star general entering prison, where he comes into conflict with a manipulative warden played by James Gandolfini who enjoys making life as difficult as possible for his inmates. It's easy for many to mistakenly label this flick as a masterpiece. It has all the right pieces, internal and external conflicts, symbolism, a great cast and wonderful cinematography. But it just doesn't use them as masterful as it could. Two things really bugged me. One was the manipulative film score. Now I'm all for grand majestic film scores such as Star Wars, or Braveheart - when appropriate - but when they stop impressing a certain mood and cross the line to blatantly declare "hey, you have to feel really moved here! The music demands it!" it gets to be a distraction. This film doesn't call for a majestic score, it's a prison drama and deserves something more subtle. Let the acting speak for itself, both Robert Redford and James Gandolfini are great. They don't need manipulative music to express their emotions. The second thing was the film went too far to explain its symbolism. The idea of the prison being a castle is great, and the film makes a number of analogies between prisoners and medieval soldiers, (which really work well since this is a military prison). But instead of letting the audience figure all the symbolism out themselves, everything is fully explained. No repeat viewings are necessary to catch all the ideas and metaphors used, it's like watching the movie with the director next to you explaining "yeah, here this scene represents... blah blah blah." Figuring it all out is half the fun of a good movie, and part of what makes repeat viewings entertaining. The Last Castle also seems to take a lot of visual ideas from one of the the greatest prison dramas: The Shawshank Redemption. I'm not sure, but I think they may have even used the same old-style prison. So many of the shots, along with many story elements, are identical to shots in The Shawshank Redemption. But despite these flaws, The Last Castle is still a very entertaining film. The acting is great, the drama is all there and the action sequence at the end is spectacular. It's just too bad this one didn't rise above the popcorn flick level, because it sure had the potential.
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