To be or not to be?

''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 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!''

8/10