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Now Playing: THE LAST RODEO (2025)
Anyone with a mechanical bull in their backyard definitely has an advantage over the competition
Neal McDonough takes us on the ride of a lifetime, and that's no bull!
THE LAST RODEO (2025) Jon Avnet / Written by Jon Avnet, Neal McDonough, & Derek Presley / Cinematographer: Denis Lenoir (2.35:1) / Design: Chris Rose / Editor: Tom Costantino / Composer: Jeff Russo / Acted by: Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, Sarah Jones, Christopher McDonald, Graham Harvey, Irene Bedard, and Daylon Swearingen / Distributor: Angel Studios / Rated PG / Length: 118 mins.
I sometimes wonder how much better (or worse) these so-called “faith-based” films might fare at the box office if religion wasn’t built into the advertising. Is there a finer film with which to introduce children to the subject of the Incarnation than Pinocchio, Walt Disney’s monotheistic retelling of the Christ parable, right down to the Blue Fairy as the Virgin Mother and Honest John, Gideon, and the Coachman as the Three Wise Men of Paradise Island? Take a lesson from Disney’s smuggling: have a little faith in the viewer's ability to take in a story without using religion as a crutch to help dam a leaky script. Alas, such is not the case with Jon Avnet’s The Last Rodeo. I can’t help but suspect that, had religion not been used a marketing tool, and had enough time passed in the film before Avnet revealed his ecclesiastical hand, I would have been so tied in with the characters that it might not have mattered.
Take a look at the lead photo. Recognize the face? Of course you do: Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report, Flags of Our Fathers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Sonic the Hedgehog… It isn’t like Neal McDonough hasn’t appeared in some of the biggest hits of the past three decades. And his partner in this Rodeo, Jon Avnet, has produced and/or directed more than his fair share of blockbuster entertainment: Risky Business, The Burning Bed, 3 films with the words Mighty Ducks in the title. What happens when the two co-script a family drama about a rider who straps on the bull one last time to raise money to pay for his grandson’s operation? Given their combined talents, it would be impossible for the film not to pack at least a modicum of entertainment value.
Video:
Trailer: THE LAST RODEO
Mama Sal (Sarah Jones) cringes at the thought of her son Cody (Graham Harvey) following in Grandpa Joe’s (McDonough) stirrups. Her concern might have been better applied to another sport: while playing baseball, Cody appears able to shake off an accidental blow to the head with a bat. But as the days pass, what started as a concussion grows into a brain tumor. Even with insurance, surgery would cost upwards of $75,000. Grandpa says not to worry, he can raise the money needed by coming out of retirement for, you guessed it, The Last Rodeo! Face it: anyone who just happens to have a mechanical bull in his backyard definitely has an advantage over the rest of the field.
Clap hands, here comes Charlie (Mykelti Williamson) — Joe’s friend, Jiminy Cricket substitute, priest, and coach all rolled into one. It’s been some time since the two were in contact, but Joe wouldn’t think of undertaking a challenge as big as this without Charlie in his corner. Informed of Joe’s plans, Charlie laughs so hard, the wheezes sound like a stalled ignition cranking in his chest.
Faith is part of the film's fabric, and with Williamson cast in the difficult role of Joe’s moral compass, it’s the actor’s job to make sure the audience isn’t beaten over the head with holy-rolling platitudes that distract from the drama. Miracle of miracles, Charlie’s homily on what it's like to be without friends and without faith is thoughtful and heartfelt, without ever feeling hellbent on proselytizing.
Rounding out the uniformly superb performances is another old pal — and friend with money — Jimmy Mack (Christopher McDonald, always welcome). Did I mention Cody will go under the knife on the same day as grandpa’s potential return to form? It’s a minor contrivance we can live with, though the same can't be said for using Jimmy’s private jet to transport Joe to Cody’s bedside between bulls.
Joe is not only the oldest competitor in the history of the sport, it’s his first ride since being injured 15 years ago. The only thing less inevitable than the disrespectful younger riders razzing Joe in the locker room is their eventual humbling in the face of the old man’s talent, professionalism, washboard abs, and keen ability to throw a punch better than Elvis and John Wayne combined.
The editing and coverage of the bronco scenes is genuinely exciting. And just when you think the sermonizing is about to boil over, Avnet and McDonough turn down the flame. It's a safe distance from The Lusty Men, Junior Bonner, and Urban Cowboy — cinema's golden triangle of broncobusters — but in spite of a couple of tough bucks along the way, The Last Rodeo never threw me. ***
Here's something you might be interested in.
Now Playing: THE LAST RODEO (2025)
Anyone with a mechanical bull in their backyard definitely has an advantage over the competition
Now Playing: THE LAST RODEO (2025)
Anyone with a mechanical bull in their backyard definitely has an advantage over the competition
Neal McDonough takes us on the ride of a lifetime, and that's no bull!
THE LAST RODEO (2025) Jon Avnet / Written by Jon Avnet, Neal McDonough, & Derek Presley / Cinematographer: Denis Lenoir (2.35:1) / Design: Chris Rose / Editor: Tom Costantino / Composer: Jeff Russo / Acted by: Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, Sarah Jones, Christopher McDonald, Graham Harvey, Irene Bedard, and Daylon Swearingen / Distributor: Angel Studios / Rated PG / Length: 118 mins.
I sometimes wonder how much better (or worse) these so-called “faith-based” films might fare at the box office if religion wasn’t built into the advertising. Is there a finer film with which to introduce children to the subject of the Incarnation than Pinocchio, Walt Disney’s monotheistic retelling of the Christ parable, right down to the Blue Fairy as the Virgin Mother and Honest John, Gideon, and the Coachman as the Three Wise Men of Paradise Island? Take a lesson from Disney’s smuggling: have a little faith in the viewer's ability to take in a story without using religion as a crutch to help dam a leaky script. Alas, such is not the case with Jon Avnet’s The Last Rodeo. I can’t help but suspect that, had religion not been used a marketing tool, and had enough time passed in the film before Avnet revealed his ecclesiastical hand, I would have been so tied in with the characters that it might not have mattered.
Take a look at the lead photo. Recognize the face? Of course you do: Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report, Flags of Our Fathers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Sonic the Hedgehog… It isn’t like Neal McDonough hasn’t appeared in some of the biggest hits of the past three decades. And his partner in this Rodeo, Jon Avnet, has produced and/or directed more than his fair share of blockbuster entertainment: Risky Business, The Burning Bed, 3 films with the words Mighty Ducks in the title. What happens when the two co-script a family drama about a rider who straps on the bull one last time to raise money to pay for his grandson’s operation? Given their combined talents, it would be impossible for the film not to pack at least a modicum of entertainment value.
Video:
Trailer: THE LAST RODEO
Mama Sal (Sarah Jones) cringes at the thought of her son Cody (Graham Harvey) following in Grandpa Joe’s (McDonough) stirrups. Her concern might have been better applied to another sport: while playing baseball, Cody appears able to shake off an accidental blow to the head with a bat. But as the days pass, what started as a concussion grows into a brain tumor. Even with insurance, surgery would cost upwards of $75,000. Grandpa says not to worry, he can raise the money needed by coming out of retirement for, you guessed it, The Last Rodeo! Face it: anyone who just happens to have a mechanical bull in his backyard definitely has an advantage over the rest of the field.
Clap hands, here comes Charlie (Mykelti Williamson) — Joe’s friend, Jiminy Cricket substitute, priest, and coach all rolled into one. It’s been some time since the two were in contact, but Joe wouldn’t think of undertaking a challenge as big as this without Charlie in his corner. Informed of Joe’s plans, Charlie laughs so hard, the wheezes sound like a stalled ignition cranking in his chest.
Faith is part of the film's fabric, and with Williamson cast in the difficult role of Joe’s moral compass, it’s the actor’s job to make sure the audience isn’t beaten over the head with holy-rolling platitudes that distract from the drama. Miracle of miracles, Charlie’s homily on what it's like to be without friends and without faith is thoughtful and heartfelt, without ever feeling hellbent on proselytizing.
Rounding out the uniformly superb performances is another old pal — and friend with money — Jimmy Mack (Christopher McDonald, always welcome). Did I mention Cody will go under the knife on the same day as grandpa’s potential return to form? It’s a minor contrivance we can live with, though the same can't be said for using Jimmy’s private jet to transport Joe to Cody’s bedside between bulls.
Joe is not only the oldest competitor in the history of the sport, it’s his first ride since being injured 15 years ago. The only thing less inevitable than the disrespectful younger riders razzing Joe in the locker room is their eventual humbling in the face of the old man’s talent, professionalism, washboard abs, and keen ability to throw a punch better than Elvis and John Wayne combined.
The editing and coverage of the bronco scenes is genuinely exciting. And just when you think the sermonizing is about to boil over, Avnet and McDonough turn down the flame. It's a safe distance from The Lusty Men, Junior Bonner, and Urban Cowboy — cinema's golden triangle of broncobusters — but in spite of a couple of tough bucks along the way, The Last Rodeo never threw me. ***
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