The Sopranos star punches a war hero in the neck in a thrilling action drama

The reviews of The last castle help clarify why it has been largely forgotten in Hollywood history. Although the cast is incredible, many critics point out that this is really one of the only good things the film has to offer. Alonso Duralde of The Advocate said: “The last castle is pretty much every prison movie and mutiny movie cliche you've ever seen.”

In other words: The last castle certainly doesn't do anything new or interesting with the well-trodden territory of prison movies, and you would be better off watching something like The Convicts if you're hoping for a much better example of the genre.

Stefan Pape of Common Sense Media, while not giving the film a glowing review, was more accepting of the film's cliches, saying, “This 2001 prison action drama, which treads on fairly conventional cinematic territory, is made all the better by the sheer brilliance of its cast.” That's understandable, considering the film features titans like Redford and Gandolfini competing on equal terms.