Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Soapy rodeo drama has lots of heart; injuries, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Last Rodeo
What's the Story?
In THE LAST RODEO, Texas widower Joe Wainwright (Neal McDonough) is a retired rodeo star who's close to his young grandson, Cody (Graham Harvey). Cody worships his "Pops" and also wants to be a rodeo star, much to the chagrin of his single mom, Joe's daughter Sally "Sal" Wainwright (Sarah Jones). After an accident during a baseball game, Cody gets dizzy and vomits. Doctors discover that he has a brain tumor and surgery will be required—but it will cost a fortune, and Sal's insurance will cover only a fraction of it. Joe realizes that there's only one way to raise the money. He must enter the PBR Legends bull-riding competition in Tulsa and win first prize, which is $750,000. So Joe calls on his old pal Charlie Williams (Mykelti Williamson) to help get him ready. But no one over the age of 50 has ever even entered the Legends competition, let alone won it.
Is It Any Good?
This rodeo drama certainly has good intentions and some strong character moments, but it's awfully soapy and very slow, treading in well-worn ruts and sometimes feeling like a parody of itself. The first thing noticeable about The Last Rodeo is its plot similarities to 2024's Ride, another drama about a rodeo veteran and a sick child. While that film succeeded due to nuanced characters, Last Rodeo flounders by spending too much time on routine situations and neglecting others. Joe gets to the rodeo late in the movie and spends so little time training for it that you have to wonder whether bull-riding is actually easier than it looks. (Almost all of the rides shown hit the golden 8-second mark.) Not to mention that this entire situation—not being able to pay for astronomical medical bills—seems to cry out for some other kind of solution than risking your life riding dangerous animals.
Still, Joe is very likable, and McDonough is believable in the role; his scenes with Sal and especially Williamson's Charlie generally ring true. (Williamson brings tons of warmth to the movie.) But other scenes are wooden, populated by acting that's less than polished. Co-written by McDonough, Derek Presley, and veteran filmmaker Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes), who also directs, The Last Rodeo is just good enough to make you wish it were better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Last Rodeo's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? How does it compare to what you might see in an action movie? Which has more impact?
How do the characters demonstrate courage? Are Joe's acts still brave when they're also reckless and dangerous?
How does the movie show the importance of compassion?
How is bullying depicted? How do characters respond to it? What are some positive ways of handling bullies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 21, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : June 24, 2025
- Cast : Neal McDonough , Mykelti Williamson , Sarah Jones
- Director : Jon Avnet
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Angel Studios
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 118 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements, language and violence
- Last updated : May 30, 2025
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