Thompson's Last Run (1986 TV Movie) User Reviews

A Habitual Offender Breaks Free

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 October 2005]

Robert Mitchum and Wilford Brimley, con and cop who are long time friends, are on a train to Dallas. Mitchum having served a sentence in another state is being transported back to Texas by Brimley for a life sentence under their habitual offender law. Not that Mitchum has a history of violence, but the number of non-violent felonies he's been convicted of place under that act. He's staring life in the face.

A niece, Kathleen York, stages an escape while Brimley and Mitchum are held up on a train near Dallas. After that it's a chase with a surprise ending.

It's a good drama, but it could have used a little more tightening up in the script. The niece's character is not well defined at all. Her motives for helping her uncle do this remain unclear. At one point we think it's because of a legendary stash that Mitchum was supposed to have hidden. Turns out to be another one of those urban legend rumors. Her actions here are a bit strange.

But Mitchum and Brimley are great, especially Mitchum. This is a perfect role for him. Bob Mitchum was one of the few Hollywood greats who actually served time in jail and I'm not talking about his few months in California for the marijuana bust in 1948. In his hobo youth he did some real time and he brings that knowledge to this role.

And he's not a whiner or a complainer about the life he's chosen, though he has regrets now. Especially seeing an old friend like Brimley disgraced on his last assignment with that escape.

Mitchum fans all over the world will like this as one of his better latter day roles.

beautiful ending

[hertzdem · 6/10 · 13 February 2007]

A little known film from late in Mitchum's career.Rather low key,but,beautifully acted by Mitchum and Brimley.Mitchum gives a wise,seasoned performance,as the lifetime criminal he portrays must surely be.The ending,however,is the reason you want to watch the film again and again.Mitchum was the best at portraying such poignant beauty.You don't see endings like this anymore,or,even,acting,where the characters are so believable.Sure,certain plot lines are rather far-fetched ,I can't imagine a prisoner being transported to another facility and having their handcuffs removed then sharing a drink with his transporting officer,even if they have known each other for 30 years.But again,suspend disbelief and enjoy this beautiful tale of good men who have made some bad decisions.

A forgotten gem

[chrislewis6057 · 9 May 2003]

Thompson's Last Run was the first 35mm film that I ever worked on, and it was a great learning experience. Robert Mitchum and Wilford Brimley provided performances that were top-notch, and the rest of the cast really rose to the occasion. It was a real pleasure whenever the director, Jerrold Freeman, came into the editing room. It was also my first film working with Anthony Redman, ACE, a very talented editor.

Execrable waste of time

[rridgwell · 2/10 · 31 July 2006]

I believe I know why this film is 'underrated' - for one thing, the overhead microphone deserves credit as a supporting actor - it was in at least four scenes! The best example is when Mitchum is visiting an old flame and the microphone swings to and fro over their heads for at least ten seconds!?!? Either the entire crew is blind or they don't care - from the end result of this movie I think the latter must be the case.

It seems like everybody in every department on the film is trying to do the worst job possible - at one point the always inappropriate music sounds right for a quiet, suspenseful scene - in the middle of a gunfight / car chase!! Then, when information is being slowly typed up on a computer, the whole orchestra goes into full melodramatic swing! The camera-work is also appalling, surely they could have afforded steadicam!

The plot of the film must have looked good on paper - two old friends caught on opposing sides of the law, facing up to old age - but it is handled at a pedestrian pace. Now I am a big fan of Mitchum's - that's why I got this bargain bin DVD - but he looks as bored playing in this as you will watching it, although he still manages to be the only actor who creates a believable character. Wilford Brimley wouldn't even have convinced if he wasn't sharing most of his scenes with that damned overhead microphone! He has a serious charisma deficit and any emoting he may have been capable of is hidden behind the most ridiculous walrus moustache I've ever seen.

With slow pacing and ridiculous suspension of disbelief (they keep robbing safes and shouting and banging around and don't arouse suspicion? The entire crew missed the twenty minutes of screen time Mr. Microphone has?) this is one to stay well clear of. Listen to me. That's 94 minutes of mortality lost forever, and now all I have is this novelty state of the art frisbee!

Underrated TV drama

[tpottera · 8/10 · 30 July 2002]

This is a made for TV movie starring Mitchum as an inmate who escapes while being transferred to another prison facility by Brimley. It is a character study of the long relationship between the Mitchum and Brimley characters and I must say I was very surprised by how touching it was! It wasn't what I expected out of those two grumpies. It also has a lot of action including Brimley chasing Mitchum on foot!(These guys were not young). I did not like the actress who played Mitchum's niece (a real draw back to the film). Its amazing how long Mitchum kept giving good performances in these relatively unknown little films up until he was pushing 80. Most of his contemporaries (any who were still alive) did not keep receiving job offers. If you're a Mitchum fan you should give this one a try.

okay but not even great enough to be a underrated gem

[rightwingisevil · 11 February 2013]

reviewer rridgwell from u.k. was right on the money, the overhead microphone continuously shown on the scene so obvious and so many times only proved that movie was carelessly produced. and one thing bothered me a lot was: prosecuted for stealing from a post office's safe and indicted for a life sentence? is that so? jailed for 12 years out of state and then transferred to Texas for the rest of his life? are you serious? did you ever hear anything like that, stayed in an out-of-state for 12 years then expatriated to another state to serve as a lifer? this is such a loosely scripted film that r.m. just walked through it without any effort. watchable but not quite interested and all we viewers could walk away and forget about it just like him walking away from the hospital and disappeared without a trace.