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‘The Last Rodeo’ Review: Neal McDonough Anchors a Familiar but Affecting Drama About a Bull Rider’s Risky Comeback
Neal McDonough stars opposite Mykelti Williamson and Sarah Jones in Angel Studios’ faith-based drama, from 'Fried Green Tomatoes' director Jon Avnet.
More often than not, when you hear some movie fans of a certain age complain “They sure don’t make them like they used to,” they’re referring to, and likely wishing for, something on the order of “ The Last Rodeo.” Smoothly directed by Jon Avnet(“Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Up Close & Personal”) from a script he co-wrote with lead actor Neal McDonough and Derek Presley, this thoroughly predictable but undeniably engaging faith-based drama is an inoffensively old-fashioned entertainment that, with only minor tweaking, could pass for a Walt Disney Studios release of yore. To get his hands on $1 million in prize money, all Joe has to do is drag his battered f50-something body back into shape, ignore the not-unreasonable dire warnings of his daughter, convince his highly skeptical but deeply religious rodeo buddy Charlie Williams (Mykelti Williamson) to coach him, and cajole glad-handing, image-conscious PBR overlord Jimmy Mack (Christopher McDonald) to rubber-stamp his late application to become the oldest competitor ever in the history of the Legends event. With his firmly set jaw, steely blue eyes, and authoritative (albeit occasionally shaky) gait, the actor enhances the emotional persuasiveness of his performance with a distinctive physicality that goes a long way to making the audience believe Joe can handle himself in any situation, whether he’s riding a bull that quite obviously doesn’t want to be ridden, or holding his own in a barroom brawl.
Or read this on Variety