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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Prosky, Austin O'Brien

Jack Slater is an action-film hero played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. An old projectionist (Robert Prosky) hands a magic movie ticket to Jack's biggest preteen fan (Austin O'Brien), and the kid steps ri...( read more  read more... )ght inside the latest Jack Slater film, becoming the actor star's sidekick in gunfights and car chases. But when Jack's nemesis (Charles Dance) gets his hands on the ticket, the fight busts out into the real world and Jack (à la Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear) refuses to believe he's a fictional character. Director John McTiernan churns some nifty scenes out of this setup, although the fiction-to-reality shuffle is not as deft as in, say, Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo, and the plot needs the kind of logic and discipline found in that classic when-worlds-collide film Back to the Future. Still, Schwarzenegger has moments of wit and smashing action, and we get a faux-movie trailer advertising an intriguing new shoot-'em-up: "Something's rotten in the State of Denmark--and Hamlet is taking out the trash!"

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43% liked it

98,431 ratings

PG-13, 131 min.

Directed by: John McTiernan

Release Date: June 18, 1993

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DVD Release Date: September 16, 1997

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Flixster Reviews (4,751)

  • AgentLexi2132
    November 13, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''To be or not to be? Not to be.''

    A young movie fan gets thrown into the movie world of his favourite action film character.

    Arnold Schwarzenegger: Jack Slater / Himself

    Intended to be a huge summer blockbuster, but ultimately becoming a big-time flop, Last ...( read more)Action Hero stars the then-infallible Arnold Schwarzenegger as the fictional action hero, Jack Slater. Jack Slater stars in his own franchise, Slater and is idolized by Danny (Austin O'Brien), a young boy who escapes his real-world troubles with an unhealthy movie-going habit. When an opportunity arrives for Danny to see the upcoming Slater IV prior to its release, he can't refrain from going, thus a magical ticket given to him by the theater owner propels him into Jack Slater's world, where cliches determine the rules of the parallel reality, and anything can happen.

    Unfortunately, Last Action Hero has been maligned through the years for being both misunderstood and eclipsed by the success of another 1993 blockbuster, Jurassic Park. What many may not realize, until they give it a fair chance, is that it's a brilliant piece of action laced with satire, that serves a double function, one of being action packed and humorous. As Jack Slater, Arnold pokes more fun at himself than any critic ever could achieve, which shows an endearing quality of sincerity. Teamed up with director John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator), it has countless explosions, stunts and special effects, so much so that it represents the best of 80's/early 90's action film, while simultaneously mocking it. Austin O'Brien plays the young protagonist well, and thankfully, isn't just another annoying kid in a summer blockbuster. The subplot of Danny's escapism will appeal to and hit close home for many a film fan, which is one of the film's greatest triumphs.

    ''Danny told me not to trust you. He said you killed Mozart.''

    If there is one flaw, though, it's that the film is about twenty minutes too long, which means the conclusive joke runs out of steam. It seems that Last Action Hero is simply crammed with almost too many ideas and in-jokes, which is where it loses points. Despite this, though, it's immensely entertaining and unrelenting in its roasting of typical Schwarzenegger fare. Forget the fact that critics hated it and audiences rejected it; Last Action Hero is like a valentine to action fans everywhere, a bold and unique blockbuster that perhaps never found its way to its true audience.
    Everything about Last Action Hero is designed to spoof and comment upon action movies. It is for the action film genre what Scream was for slasher movies, or Galaxy Quest for spoofing Star Trek. If its a film that seems overblown and over the top, that's only because its making fun of contemporaries, which are exactly the same, only without the self-reflective philosophizing.

    ''If God was a villain, he would have been me.''

    The film opens with a dead-on parody of many an action film. A hostage situation, a crazy criminal, dozens of police cars and guns. A blustering, hot-head of a police chief and then the camera focuses on a glaringly aggressive closeup of a pair of heavy-set boots. It pans reverently up past jeans, a belt buckle, shirt and jacket, until it reveals the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
    Holding what must be the biggest handgun ever constructed, he barges onto the scene and manages to do what the entire LAPD couldn't. He saves the hostages (bar his son), boots people out of his way like they were footballs, defeats the nemesis and saves the day.
    It's a scene so ludicrous it could only be a fantasy, and it is, because it's a film. Jack Slater III, starring one of the biggest action stars of the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) is the only one in the audience, and he can't wait to see the next instalment, Jack Slater IV. When he acquires a magic ticket from a cinema projectionist(Robert Prosky), it ends up transporting him into the film.
    The film of Jack Slater IV has become a blinding and bewildering world. And Danny is caught right in the middle. Partnered up with Jack, they must track down Benedict (Charles Dance), the film's classy, intelligent, sadistic villain. Which becomes more complicated when Benedict gets his hands on the ticket, and breaks through to our world. We see how cruel and normal unmoralistic behaviour can be in our reality, and Charles Dance knows how to orchestrate villainy. The art where he shoots a man in a back street out in a public place, shows how unfeeling and real this World is, compared to the 2D predictable film World he echoes from.
    Anyone who says Last Action Hero is ridiculous and absurd only demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of the film and story. The film's excesses are the exact type of thing its mocking its contemporaries for, the film never misses a trick. Any cliché or plot hole, and you can be sure Last Action Hero will assault it somewhere.

    In fact its nice to see an action film that's fully aware of how inane action movies usually are. Director John McTiernan, one of a variation, of favourite action filmmakers, explores every possible angle available. A typical day in Jack Slater's life is so full of unbelievable absurdities you wonder how he could have survived in the job for so long.
    McTiernan is quite merciless and scathing when it comes to spoofing action movies. He leaves no stone unturned...The typical gigantic explosions, connect the dots plot lines, villains who talk to they're enemies when they should be killing them, Slater has tons of guns on his person, he is almost never seen without a gigantic cigar, and in the car chase to end all car chases, Jack drives off an overpass and lands on the road with no discernible damage, and then does the same thing in reverse. Last Action Hero even looks suspiciously, like the storm drain from that chase scene in Terminator 2.

    ''To be or not to be? Not to be.''

    There are too many in-jokes and observations to mention in one review. In fact the film is quite exhausting at times with its extensive knowledge of the genre. But just about every pun hits the mark. And it gives Arnie plenty of opportunities to do what he enjoys most, displaying his own image.
    Last Action Hero is basically one long commentary on action movie clichés. All helpfully provided by Danny, when the film reenters our world, it achieves new and wondrous heights. Jack can actually feel pain, things don't just work out according to plan.
    And in the film's most inspired moment, Jack meets the man who made him, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnie clearly enjoys riffing on his own image, enthusiastically endorsing Planet Hollywood, while his wife Maria Shriver looks off to the side in frustration.

    Last Action Hero does sometimes feel like it has a few ideas too many (such as an animated cat in Jack's world) and it does perhaps go on longer than it needs to, but this is an exceptionally witty and very involving action movie parody. Packed with in-jokes, surprise cameos (Sharon Stone and Robert Patrick's are particularly inspired) and every joke in the book, Last Action Hero is a real unopened treasure.
    It deserves high commendation indeed for having the guts to satirize one of Hollywood's biggest breadwinners. And if any genre deserves a bit of spoofing, its the self-important action genre.

    ''You wanna be a farmer? Here's a couple of acres!''
  • puffchunk
    September 30, 2009
    puffchunk
    Upon a second review, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I really liked it. Classic Cheesy Arnold, and every attempt is made to make fun of how awesome his movies are. Enough one-liners for everybody! "I am Arnold Brownschwigger!"
  • hypathio7
    September 29, 2009
    hypathio7
    Another real person stepping into a movie screen, movie characters stepping out into the real world plot device. I don't think the main kid character hold the picture together very well. I don't care for the action. Schwarzenegger and the villain are sooo cartoonish. The conc...( read more)ept is not carried out very well from my adult perspective, but I know there is an audience for it.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    One of the worst films ever made but you knew that already! (Charles Dance as the bad guy is always a bit of a giveaway!)
  • mrpopcorn
    April 4, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "Did Someone Say Action?"

    A young movie fan gets thrown into the movie world of his favourite action film character.

    REVIEW

    This film has been described as a turkey by many a film critic, but then t...( read more)here aren't many Arnie films which aren't largely panned. However, if you watch the film with an open mind you may discover a hidden gem. The first time I saw this film I couldn't stop laughing. From the outset it was clear that this film was a parody of all those classic over-the-top Arnie movies rolled into one. One-liners, mad action, improbable stunts, a decent child actor, a good supporting cast (including a host of cameos), and plenty of humour. As Jack Slater (Arnie) walks into his apartment he immediately pulls out his gun and shoots his closet, opens the door and a man falls dead to the floor. Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) asks Jack how he knew there would be a man in there. Without thought Jack says "There's always a man in there". If this is to your taste, watch the film, if not, too bad.
  • SheriffBufordTJustice
    November 8, 2009
    SheriffBufordTJustice
    CocoCoopah: "The kids will love this. As usual I always find something to laugh about. Ahnuld's facial expressions bwahahaha :P"

    SheriffBufordTJustice: Ahnuld should of made more movies for kids :D
  • CocoCoopah
    November 6, 2009
    CocoCoopah
    The kids would love this. As usual I always find something to laugh about. Ahnuld's facial expressions bwahahaha :P
  • totalefreiheit
    November 3, 2009
    totalefreiheit
    To be or not to be.... well, not to be!
    Pobre Schwrzenburger, cayo muy bajo con esta pelicula.
  • HateYouIgnorant
    October 27, 2009
    HateYouIgnorant
    Comercial! or stupid! :|
  • graveling861
    October 20, 2009
    graveling861
    Wow. I am kind of amazed that I liked this movie as a kid. It's clever in parts but why the hell is it over 2 hours. I thought it was almost over and then there was an hour more.

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  • kingfirefox
    December 16, 2006
    kingfirefox
    this is a cult-comedy film? i think this is the arnold's best film:)
    Charles dance is charismatic here as Mr. Benedict
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Last Action Hero Trivia

  • Which of the following movie is this line taken from? "I've just shot somebody and i did it on purpose"   Answer »
  • Which two movies feature a def leppard song?  Answer »
  • Which "Arnold Movie" is this quote from? "Could I speak to the drug dealer of the house, please?"  Answer »
  • Correction. In which film did arnie and sharon stone co star You Chose: c. total recall (Incorrect - 0 pts) Correct Answer: a. twins (0%) b. last action hero (0%) c. total recall (2%) d. running man (0%) So my question is who really co-starred with arnie in the running man?  Answer »
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