Arnold Schwarzenegger is back – as an action hero

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jan/19/arnold-schwarzenegger-action-hero-comeback

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He's older, a little more craggy and definitely a lot more wrinkled, but Arnold Schwarzenegger is about to stalk across movie screens once more, gun in hand, blasting away at his enemies while muttering monotone catchphrases.

At the age of 65 and via a modern western, Schwarzenegger has embarked on another career shift, taking him back to the action blockbusters that brought him global fame. This week will see the London premiere of The Last Stand, in which he plays the sheriff of a quiet American town on the border with Mexico.

It is a remarkable twist to an astonishing life story for the Austrian bodybuilder turned actor turned two-time Republican governor of California. While America is no stranger to actors who become politicians – such as Ronald Reagan and Fred Thompson – the idea that one could then go back to being a working Hollywood actor is new.

But that is where Schwarzenegger is headed. After leaving behind famous roles as Conan the Barbarian and a killer cyborg in the Terminator franchise to become governor of a state with the seventh largest economy in the world, Schwarzenegger has now returned to one-liners, shootouts and car chases. Or, as some wags have dubbed it, Schwarzenegger has gone from the Terminator to the Governator to emerging in another new role as the Rejuvenator.

His new movie is even a modest hit. Joe Morganstern, a film critic at the Wall Street Journal, approved of the cinematic comeback of one of the great action heroes of the 1980s. "The movie isn't about eloquence, it's about giving Mr Schwarzenegger a chance to take on new enemies that include advancing age," he said. The film's marketers seemed to agree. Billboards for the movie featured Schwarzenegger firing a giant machine gun under the tag line: "Retirement is for sissies."

The plot of The Last Stand is simple enough and gives Schwarzenegger ample opportunity to display his familiar, if somewhat limited, range of acting talents – a ruthless fugitive bears down on the usually sleepy community, desperate to cross the frontier into freedom. Only one man can stop him and … you can probably guess the rest. It is directed by Korean Kim Jee-woon, in his first English-language film, and has grabbed a respectable-ish score of 60% on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes.

But not everyone approves of Schwarzenegger's refusal to grow old gracefully and away from the spotlight. Stephanie Zacharek, a film critic at public radio network NPR, did not find the film much fun. "By the end, even Schwarzenegger looks worn out. Maybe being governor wasn't such a hard job after all," she sniped.

Not that Schwarzenegger is listening to those critics. Last week he held a question and answer session with the online community website Reddit in which he fielded queries about his comeback. Schwarzenegger was shameless about pitching himself as available for Hollywood's hottest directing talent from blockbusters to art-house films. "I would like to work with Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. Also Sam Raimi would be great to work with," he enthused.

That sort of bravado is typical Schwarzenegger. His life story has been one of unrelenting optimism even in the face of things such as an infidelity scandal that would have derailed the careers of other famous faces. Observers see his return as him simply doing what he likes to do best. After all he does not need the money. Nor does he need the fame. "He likes to perform. He loves being on a movie set," said Noah Levy, senior news editor at In Touch Weekly magazine.

But does he really have an action movie future ahead of him? Levy is not convinced. "No disrespect to gentlemen of a certain age, but I think he is a little silly in that kind of movie. What I think people would want to see him in is a comedy. He has great comedic timing and there is something oddly lovable about him," he said.

That is something that Schwarzenegger – star of previous comedy movies such as Twins – has considered. Last week Schwarzenegger was asked on Reddit by a nine-year-old fan if he had more fun with comedic roles or action ones. "Definitely, comedies are more fun to make," he replied. So, one way or another, whether carrying a gun or packing a punchline, it seems that Schwarzenegger – to paraphrase his famous movie quote – will be back.