Review of Last Action Hero (1993) by Anthony G — 16 Jan 2018

I really enjoyed this movie back in the 90s when I was the same age as the boy in the movie! I decided to give this a re-watch and see if my opinion had changed. I was a big Schwarzenegger fan, and I still am.

This film represents Arnie's commercial peak and his first real flop.

At this moment in time Arnie had just made T2 so he was hot property. I think he got 15mil for this movie.

The film is a mess, mainly due to the tone of the movie which is scatterbrained, to be kind.

So, Danny is transported into a movie, far fetched but that is the basis. He is given a ticket and it allows him to enter the movie he is watching where it is real to everyone else except him. This is the first problem with tone.

He is watching Jack Slater 4, his favourite action movie franchise that is PG-13 (?) John McTiernan Director of Die Hard rated R and Shane Black writer of Lethal Weapon rated R teamed up for this movie and Jack Slater would appear to ape their previous movies sequels (as I believe neither were happy with Die Hard 2 or Lethal Weapon 2 This seems fine on paper up to now) ..a bit of a dig at action movie sequels.

The problem is the movie Danny enters is nothing like Lethal Weapon or Die Hard!! if he exists in this movie world why is this movie a spoof of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard?? it makes no sense.

There are cameos from Sharon Stone (basic instinct) and Robert Patrick as the T-1000 that are a little too cute but, then you have silly gags going on too.

I get this was trying to be light hearted and make fun of these action police movies but we are meant to be in the movie world of Jack Slater, that is a real world to him, not a movie.

**why is there is a cartoon cat? **.

Again, all this would be fine if this movie was a spoof of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard but it is not.

This film 'Jack Slater 4' is an action blockbuster sequel in the vein of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard but with us (represented by a kid) along for the ride.

So, this is all very confusing straight off the bat. If they wanted to spoof those movies make a spoof or a send up actually just set in the movie world where Arnie makes fun of himself. This film tries to be too clever and appeal to too many people. In the end it is not an action movie or a comedy due to the basic tone and the kid is really annoying.

The first 1hr and half is in the movie Danny was watching i.e. movie world.

The film is full of action that is beyond over the top and he keeps calling Arnie out on this resulting in a gag about the PG-13 certificate, Danny asks him to say a swear which his character can't, its another cute gag and the film has lots of ideas but it is just a mess.

Arnie is great as the bigger than life action star but I am not sure if he is in on the gag? it feels like the film is making fun of him, a little.

When we meet Danny (i guess he is between 9-12 in age pre-teen) he is sat in an empty theatre watching his hero Jack Slater, Is this a dig at these movies being only enjoyed by kids or that no one watches these movies anymore. Is Arnie only a bad-ass action star to little kids and no one cares what he does...seems like a cheap dig.

Then when Danny daydreams of a Hamlet with Arnie in it, he has guns and blows up the castle in spectacular fashion, again, is this a comment that Arnie will ruin anything else he stars in and turn it into a silly action flick?!

Danny is frankly the problem with most of this movie he makes it feel like a kids film and I think a spoof with Arnie in it or just the actual Jack Slater movie, in the movie world minus the kid would have been better to watch.

Still, Arnie is great in this film but he is playing it like a comedy not an action film.

Charles Dance is also well cast as the villain but is largely overlooked until the end when they all stumble into the real world (after 1 hr and 30mins of a 2hr movie).

So, now we get to see what we came for Arnie's big action persona in the living world.

I think due to similarities with Woody Allen's movie they reduced Jack Slater's time in the real world and that's a shame. The few scenes with him punching a car window, and complaining about pain, and then crashing a car are the more interesting parts of the movie. But, all too brief.

All in all I still enjoyed this movie as an Arnie fan but it could have been so much worse, or so much better.

In the end it feels like a sketch from Saturday night live that goes on for 2hrs.