I remember as a teenager at the time how Last Action Hero was deemed a major commercial flop of the proportions of Heaven's Gate & Waterworld. LAH was considered a sign of Arnold Schwarzenegger's decline in the action market, perhaps signaling to the world that he had lost his appeal. Watching it for the first time in ages, I don't know why it wasn't more successful other than it was PG-13 and more "teen-friendly"(..as in, aimed at a younger audience and without the kind of graphic on-screen violence often associated with Arnold's 80's movies). I like how LAH pokes gleeful fun(..as does the actor himself, always winking)at the persona, image, and movies Arnold has made that led to his financial and cult success.
The knowing, tongue-in-cheek script and playful performances, makes such a ridiculous action movie as LAH easy to swallow, since most of the film occurs in the "cinematic unreal world" of the character of Jack Slater, from the point of view of a kid who adores his films(..a representation of us who grew up watching his R-rated blood-and-guts action movies behind our parents' backs).
A kid, Danny Madigan(Austin O'Brien) receives a "magic ticket" from a movie house proprietor whose theater is being shut down. The kid uses it to enter the world of his favorite action hero and, in turn, gets caught in the middle of Jack Slater's feud with a sadistic, glass-eyed assassin, Benedict(Charles Dance, having fun with his fiendish killer) working for an evil mafioso. As expected, plenty of car chases, explosions, and machine guns firing off rounds of ammunition, not to mention damage to buildings, vehicles, and streets as a result. I think if one might have a beef with this film, it is probably when Slater, Danny, and Benedict exit their world into the very real streets of New York City as his newest movie is about to premiere.
There are some jaw-dropping action stunt set-pieces from great heights, and, as mentioned before, plenty of structural destruction wonderfully lampooning how Slater is always able to survive such devastating feats which would undoubtedly kill mortal men outside of the celluloid universe. Many might find the movie premiere of Arnold's movie quite amusing in it's inclusion of memorable Hollywood faces and how Benedict attempts to use a villain from one of the Slater series to kill the actor himself! It's a diabolical plot to erase Slater by killing the man who portrays him!
I think LAH will probably find the audience today it didn't have back in '93. It's directed with a stunning versatility from a man who knows how to make action movies. Part of the movie's charm is how Danny attempts to clue Slater in on how his world is fictional, make-believe and how Slater allows him to tag along, getting themselves in grand, and dangerous adventures only a movie could concoct. Tom Noonan(..as a hideous heavy in a raincoat) and Ian McKellen(..as Death from Bergman's The Seventh Seal!) have memorable roles as fictitious characters brought to life from movies because of the magic ticket. Dance's Benedict enjoys the fact that blatant open violence in the middle of a New York City street at night after shooting an innocent man doesn't necessarily draw the attention of the police it would in the cinematic world for which he derives. The one-liners and constant nods to action movies of the past are in full force so if you hate these aspects from the genre, beware.
15 out of 20 found this helpful