Futuristic sets always intrigue me when I watch a science fiction film. The futuristic set designs used in sci-fi films from the 1970’s and early 80’s are especially visually appealing. Logan’s Run, for example, is an overwhelmingly visual experience. The story is very good in that film, however, the true reason I love Logan’s Run is the look of the film—that great 1976 vision of the future.
The 1981 film, “The Last Chase” features some similar set pieces. One of the most hypnotic sets in the film is the circular, below floor-level computer station Ben Gordon as Morely sits in, in which he monitors the escape from society Lee Majors and his young friend, Chris Makepeace make in Lee Majors’ race car. Why are Lee Majors and Chris Makepeace trying to escape from society? Wouldn’t you try? I don’t know if I’d take either one of those guys---Lee Majors is probably a cool guy---but I sure would try.
In “The Last Chase,” Lee Majors plays Franklyn Hart, an ex-race car driver who has lived through a future United States society in which cars no longer exist. Gasoline no longer exists either, so it kind of follows that cars would not exist in a car-less society. Chris Makepeace (Meatballs, My Bodyguard) plays a young boarding school student named Ring, who is also a computer hacker. It is very interesting to see the work of a computer hacker being portrayed in a film from 1981, the very early days of computing as we now know it. Franklyn and Ring share the same view of their society in which one may not travel cross-country by car. I think this would piss me off as well. I love taking road trips across the country and seeing what is out there.
Franklyn and Ring escape the containment of their society and drive West towards California. The whole reason for their cross-country journey appears to simply be in defiance of the state of their car-less society. The government enlists the help of former Air Force pilot, J.G. Williams, played by Burgess Meredith (The Penguin on tv’s Batman, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3), to help capture the pair of drivers. Like Franklyn Hart, Williams enjoys the chance to fly his old airplane again. What happens during the rest of the film, you will have to see for yourself.
Sammy Snyders from “The Pit” makes a brief, yet always welcome, appearance. Alexandra Stewart plays Lee Majors' love interest in the second half of the film. She is absolutely stunning.
I enjoyed “The Last Chase.” It does have a few problems with tone. For instance, there is a very brief orgy scene in the first half-hour. What??? There is only a small bit of nudity—you see a few butts and a glimpse of boobies. Later in the film, Majors and Makepeace’s characters form a nice bond similar to what one may find in a family film. Imagine if “Back to the Future” and a very brief scene in a strip club with full nudity. Sing to yourself, “One of these scenes is not like the others…” The first half hour feels like a good science fiction film, but the final hour and fifteen minutes are of that family film variety mixed with a bit of apocalyptic future thrown in. It’s not the desolate, desperate kind of apocalypse as in “Mad Max” or the great 1983 Robert Ginty/Persis Khambatta film, “Warrior of the Lost World.” The locations in Canada and northern Arizona are beautiful, so at least the scenery has not changed. That does make sense, seeing that in the future portrayed in the film, there should less pollution to ruin the natural beauty of these settings.
The point of “The Last Chase” seems to be that life without gasoline or oil and the vehicles in which they go---cars and planes would be a life without adventure. I agree with this notion. There are few greater experiences than driving at your own pace across any given country. At the same time, lack of dependence on gas and oil to fuel our vehicles would be nice. No political rant here, but a greater emphasis on high-performing electric cars would be nice. Chase down “The Last Chase.” It is well worth an hour and 45 minutes of your time.
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