It’s an established action film trope. The fire team comprised of ex-military personnel, move in on their target. Only to have the tables turned by someone they don’t deem a threat. What makes it different in The Last Stand of Ellen Cole is a throwaway line of dialogue. The bested operative lies bleeding on the floor and the protagonists stands over them ready to finish them off. “Don’t, I have a cat” they feebly plead. For me that was the icing on the cake. The movie had already established it was taking the “same old, same old” and doing something different. Something fun, if taken in the right spirit. This scene tipped the balance and I embraced this film because it was being honest about what it is. This is a modern B movie that decides to give a very specific sub-genre a makeover. Furthermore, its clearly done with an affectionate wink, which is very different to sly wink. This isn’t deliberate self-knowing irony. Its just a film doing something different and possibly silly but it genuinely wants to have fun with it. Duke (Hart Bochner), a ruthless property developer in Montana, needs to buy just one more ranch, so he can start his multimillion dollar construction project. Unfortunately the owner, 80-year-old Ellen Cole (Lin Shaye), doesn’t want to sell. She has a terminal illness and just wants to die in her own home. Unfortunately, Duke can’t wait as he needs to start work as he is in debt to the Russian Mafia. After two of this hired thugs fail to drive Ellen from her home, Sheriff Winston (Ty Olsson) arrest Ellen on bogus charges. When confronted by Ellen as to whether he will do anything to protect her property while she is in jail, Winston says “no”. Ellen subsequently breaks out of jail, returns home and prepares for a siege. She is helped by, Abby (Liz Caribel), the daughter of her former ranch hand. Abby suspects that Duke has murdered others who would not sell their properties. Duke sends his enforcer Clay (Craig Tate), who arrives with a fire team. However, it soon becomes apparent that Ellen Cole is more than just an old widow and that the locked trapdoor in her basement harbours a secret. The Last Stand of Ellen Cole takes several established ideas and runs with them for an efficient ninety minutes or so. The formulaic story works mainly because of Lin Shaye’s strong central performance. She plays the role of a crotchety octogenarian dead straight and with a minimum of humorous quips. Hence the character retains their credibility within the film central plot conceit. The action scenes are fast, well edited and surprisingly brutal. They effectively create the illusion that Shaye is doing her own stunts, which she patently isn’t. Furthermore, unlike bigger budget action films with known genre stars, The Last Stand of Ellen Cole keeps the scale of events within a reasonable scope. Shootouts involves six people, not sixty. Directors, Derek Lee and Clif Prowse understand the cardinal rule of budget film-making. Do the best you can with what you’ve got. Aside from Shaye, the rest of the cast are competent. Some critics have stated that the ethnic diversity of this small local Sheriffs department is not very realistic but this is an action movie, which also channels a lot from the Western genre. Entertainment such as this is not required to be an accurate depiction of the Montana’s demographics. The Western vibe is further bolstered by a score from Jeremy Wallace Maclean which has more than a hint of Ennio Morricone about it. Furthermore, cinematographer Jan Klompje captures the rugged beauty of the Montanna landscape and the dynamism of the unfolding action. If The Last Stand of Ellen Cole was a wine, most viewers would be getting strong hints of Taken and John Wick in its bouquet. If you’re prepared to suspend your sense of disbelief, this film is surprisingly entertaining. B movies exist to fill a specific niche and this one does. It’s not everyday you get to see an 82 year old woman do a one inch punch. Permalink