Last Action Hero

Highly underrated Arnie movie.

Is it a comedy? An action movie? A spoof of the entire action movie genre? Well, it might be all of them, and more.

This movie could be interpreted in several ways. In it, Arnold is spoofing himself (or his on-screen persona, anyway) and the genre of action movies in general.

What's more, it's a story within a story, making an audience member part of the story, giving the whole thing a post-modern twist. The movie is full of genre in-jokes and self-references, making fun of many of the clichés - while at the same time referring to other films, actors, and even other genres, making this sort of a celebration of the entire film business.

On the other hand - in case you don't care about all of this - as an action movie in itself, it's still very entertaining. If you like Schwarzenegger action movies, you'll like this one as well.

Don't let anyone tell you this is a "bad movie". See it for yourself, and make up your own mind.

What can I say? A lot of people looked at this as a cheap Arnold action movie, and while it's not a great film it's certainly a good one with a very good concept. The intentional continuity errors are funny and clever, the movie cliche's are great. So what if it's a little cheesy and Arnold is the only decent actor? Enjoy the conflict of reality and fiction, and see this movie because it's a fun and somewhat thoughtful flick.

After a string of predictable cookie cutter script action flicks that made money from Arnie's muscles and persona, one studio decided to take a chance and try a Hollywood self-mocking film starring the big guy. It had a story line that actually made one think and pay attention in order to appreciate the paradoxes arising from its premise.( A fun side effect is that its movie within a movie allowed for some more over-the-top stunts and tough guy scenes than even the simplest knuckle dragging mouth breathing 'action' film fans would normally sit for) Scenes with recognized characters drawn from recent popular films were played tongue in cheek and while the story proceeded on a couple of levels there were enough innuendos and amusing elements in the background to keep the viewer's appreciative attention. The result of this comparatively well polished gamble was the sort of reception reflected by the vote results in this IMDB poll. A surprizing number of viewers don't like it.

Maybe the studios waited too long to try a movie like this with Arnold. It is possible that the market segment that would appreciate a film like this had already dismissed Arnie as the Commando/Raw Deal lout and dismissed the film unseen, while the usual shoot'em punch'em fans found their brains hurting too much from trying to follow a real story.

One thing is sure, the studios are watching and you can bet they won't make that mistake again. Get ready for more movies that play to the lowest common denominator and are written so the dullest gonk in the movie house can still comprehend the plot. Red Sonja, Judge Dredd, The Running Man, here they come.

Last Action Hero has to be the most underrated movies I've ever seen. I've seen it at least four times, but I still like it. Stuff the critics and enjoy it for what it is: a spoof of action movies and their clichés. It's something that probably hasn't been done before and hasn't been done since (because this was undeservedly bashed, I'd say). I would say that it was poorly received because audiences expected a mindless Rambo or Terminator-style film, rather than a satire.

The plot concerns this kid Daniel Madigan. He leads a pretty poor life and the only good thing that happens in it is that he gets to go to the movies to watch his favourite movie(s), Jack Slater with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He finds a golden ticket and travels into one such movie: Jack Slater IV. Madigan marvels at his good fortune and observes the many action movie clichés: a police officer getting blown up two days from retirement, Jack Slater evading every blast and machine-gun burst that comes his way, the bad guys never winning, the attractive daughter and not one unattractive woman to be seen. He also witness a whole array of unrealistic characters, including an animated cat and Robert Patrick (AKA Liquid Terminator from Terminator 2), as well as the stereotypical screaming boss. Let's not forget the big explosions and loud noises that always take center-stage in action movies. The sidekick also always get into trouble (i.e when Madigan plays chicken with a car). This is truly brilliant stuff.

If Last Action Hero has a flaw, it's that Daniel Madigan himself is excessively annoying and this doesn't bode well, as he is a major character.

However, that only has a slight effect on the rest of the film. I've said it before, I'll say it again: This is an ingenious satire, a spoof of action movies and their clichés. Not only that, but it is entertaining in a mindless way as well. It is not perfect, but it is about ten times better than the critics say it is.

Ignore them and see this film.

4/5 stars

EDIT (1/4/2013): This movie is slightly more flawed than I remembered. The second half does drag a bit while Austin O'Brien remains annoying. Still grossly underrated though.

This is UNDENIABLY one of the greatest action movies I've ever seen. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS FLOPPED AT THE BOX OFFICE! Arnie is at his wisecracking/comic/action best in this picture and there's a fantastic supporting cast too! The film includes many cameos from other movie stars like Chevy Chase, James Belushi, Tom Noone (THE RIPPER), Jean-Claude Van Damme and many other! GET IT NOW!!!! 10/10