History YMMV / TheLastBoyScout

* HarsherInHindsight: The BigBad's goal is to bribe enough senators to allow for legalized gambling in football. In May 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down a federal law that bars gambling on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states, giving states the go-ahead to legalize betting on sports.

** Prior to this film, Halle Berry's biggest claim to fame was as the love interest in a low-budget black romantic comedy called ''Strictly Business''. Her star would start to rise in her next movie, the Creator/EddieMurphy comedy ''Film/{{Boomerang}}''.

* SignatureScene: Billy Cole shooting three opposing players while en route to the end zone, just before offing himself.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheDragon Milo]], in Shane Black's original screenplay, is significantly nastier than he is in the final product, even managing to eclipse his boss [[BigBad Sheldon Marcone]]. A director of {{snuff film}}s on top of being a [[PsychoForHire psychotic hitman]] for Marcone, Milo routinely has young women tricked or kidnapped to be brutally murdered by his henchmen for the purpose of his films. Once Marcone orders the assassination of [[CorruptPolitician Senator Calvin Baynard]], Milo kidnaps the hero Joe Hallenbeck and his wife Sarah and threatens to use Sarah as the next star in his snuff films if Joe doesn't kill Baynard, with full intent of simply [[ManOnFire burning Joe to death]] and using him to soak up guilt as he and Marcone walk off free. Along the way, Milo massacres an innocent family simply because they inconvenience him and, after murdering Baynard and all of his men before being defeated and scarred by Joe, murders his way back to Joe and tries to furiously gun down him and his entire family in revenge.

** Joe says that all the makeup his daughter wears makes her "look like a goddamn raccoon". Fast-forward to 2006 and in the animated film ''Film/OverTheHedge'', Creator/BruceWillis actually [[PlayingAgainstType provided the voice for a raccoon]].

** And a ''very'' young Creator/KimCoates, nearly thirty years pre-''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'', gets punched to death by Bruce Willis.

* HilariousInHindsight: This quote from Creator/HalleBerry's character:
-->'''Cory:''' If I were [[Film/{{Catwoman}} a cat]], I'd purrrrrr.
** Joe says that all the makeup his daughter wears makes her "look like a goddamn raccoon". Fast-forward to 2006 and in the animated film ''Film/OverTheHedge'', Willis actually [[PlayingAgainstType provided the voice for a raccoon]].

** Prior to this film, Halle Berry's biggest claim to fame was as the love interest in a low-budget black romantic comedy called ''Strictly Business''. Her star would start to rise in her next movie, the Creator/EddieMurphy comedy ''Boomerang''.

** And a ''very'' young Creator/KimCoates, nearly thirty years pre Series/SonsOfAnarchy, gets punched to death by Bruce Willis.

** Prior to this film, Halle Berry's biggest claim to fame was as the love interest in a low-budget black romantic comedy called ''Strictly Business''. Her star would start to rise in her next movie, the EddieMurphy comedy ''Boomerang''.

** And a ''very'' young Creator/KimCoates, nearly thirty years pre Series/SonsOfAnarchy, gets punched to death by Bruce Willis.
* TroubledProduction: Although not on [[Film/ApocalypseNow this]] level, this film had a very troubled production.
** '''EVERYBODY''' involved in the production of the film had a miserable time working with it.
** MichaelKamen and BruceWillis took over the production and made significant changes to ShaneBlack's script and made TonyScott film many scenes that he didn't like under threat of being fired from production.
*** Not even '''THAT''' made Kamen like the film.
** Producer Joel Silver named it [[OldShame one of three worst experiences of his life]], while Bruce Willis swore he will never work with Silver again.
** Damon Wayans and Bruce Willis despised each other, even though they played buddies in the film.
** Editor Stuart Baird was hired to completely re-edit the film after the original cut of the film turned out to be an borderline unwatchable workprint release.

** EVERYBODY involved in the production of the film had a miserable time working with it.

** And a ''very'' young Creator/KimCoates, nearly thirty years pre Series/SonsOfAnarchy, gets punched to death by Bruce Willis.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: A case can be made for Joe being a SociopathicHero rather than a KnightInSourArmor. In addition to his {{Jerkass}} tendencies, his hostile and borderline-abusive interactions with his wife and daughter call his morality into question. He also seems to have a propensity to violence, as evidenced when he antagonizes Jimmy into hitting him.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: This could be a reason why it underperformed at the box office.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Unintentional, retrospective aversion for modern viewers--yes, they really ''would'' kill off Creator/HalleBerry's character after a couple of scenes, because when this film was made she was a no-name playing a bit part (though she still gets a card to herself in the opening credits).
* RetroactiveRecognition: Prior to this film, Halle Berry's biggest claim to fame was as the love interest in a low-budget black romantic comedy called ''Strictly Business''. Her star would start to rise in her next movie, the EddieMurphy comedy ''Boomerang''.

* HilariousInHindsight: This quote from HalleBerry's character:

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Unintentional, retrospective aversion for modern viewers--yes, they really ''would'' kill off HalleBerry's character after a couple of scenes, because when this film was made she was a no-name playing a bit part (though she still gets a card to herself in the opening credits).

** Also in the movie is Billy Blanks before he gave us the wonder of Tae-Bo.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Unintentional, retrospective aversion for modern viewers--yes, they really ''would'' kill off HalleBerry's character after a couple of scenes, because when this film was made she was a no-name playing a bit part.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Unintentional, retrospective aversion for modern viewers--yes, they really ''would'' kill off HalleBerry's character after a couple of scenes, because when this film was made she was a no-name playing a bit part.

* HilariousInHindsight:

-->'''[[HalleBerry Cory]]:''' If I were [[Film/{{Catwoman}} a cat]], I'd purrrrrr.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Let's face it, the movie is ''extremely'' cynical and brutal. Joe and Jimmy can be rather hard to like, and the [[CompleteMonster peo]][[JerkAss ple]] around them are little better.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Unintentional, retrospective aversion for modern viewers--yes, they really ''would'' kill off HalleBerry's character after a couple of scenes, because when this film was made she was a no-name playing a bit part.

** Joe says that all the makeup his daughter wears makes her "look like a goddamn raccoon". Fast-forward to 2006 and in the animated film ''OverTheHedge'', Willis actually [[PlayingAgainstType provided the voice for a raccoon]].
** -->'''[[HalleBerry Cory]]:''' If I were [[Film/{{Catwoman}} a cat]], I'd purrrrrr.

** In ''TheLastBoyScout'', BruceWillis' character Joe says that all the makeup his daughter wears makes her "look like a goddamn raccoon". Fast-forward to 2006 and in the animated film ''OverTheHedge'', Willis actually [[PlayingAgainstType provided the voice for a raccoon]].

-->'''[[HalleBerry Cory]]:''' If I were [[Film/{{Catwoman}} a cat]], I'd purrrrrr.