Last Action Hero (1993)

This is a fun movie within a movie type film that has cameos from lots of good actors, and has a good story. I liked it.I give Last Action Hero a 6/10

Anyone who loves classic, cheesy action movies from the 1980s and 1990s probably owns a copy of Last Action Hero, an absolutely darling spoof of the genre starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Younger kids might not like it very much, since they've grown up on a different type of action movie, but older millennials and Generation X will totally love it. In the movie, Austin O'Brien is a preteen who has recently lost his father. His mother, Mercedes Ruehl, wants him to spend less time at the movies and more time concentrating on his studies, but boys will be boys, and Austin sneaks out in the middle of the night to watch an advanced screening of the latest installment of his favorite action film franchise, similar to Die Hard. The owner of the movie theater, Robert Prosky, gives Austin a magical ticket, and before he knows what's happening, Austin gets transported into the movie! He gets to pal around with the main character Arnold Schwarzenegger, laugh at the cheesy puns, unrealistic fight scenes, gorgeous bimbos, and plot holes in the script. It's a laugh a minute, and Shane Black's and David Arnott's script hilariously pokes fun of the real actors as well as the genre as a whole. For example, Austin O'Brien tries to convince character-Arnold that he's just a character in a movie, and he actually tells him that an actor named Arnold Schwarzenegger plays him! Character-Arnold has never heard of actor-Arnold, so they go to a video store to rent one of his famous movies. Inside they see a cardboard cutout advertisement of Terminator 2, starring Sylvester Stallone! In the movie universe, actor-Arnold doesn't exist. When Austin meets F. Murray Abraham in the movie universe, he immediately recognizes him and tries to warn Arnold that he's the bad guy because he killed Mozart. Anthony Quinn, who spent a career playing not very intelligent ethnic characters, plays the quintessential Italian mob boss, who always mixes his metaphors-a fourth wheel, in front of the eight-ball, etc.-much to the irritation of his evil cohort, Charles Dance. If by some miracle you lived through the 80s and 90s and haven't seen Last Action Hero, buy yourself a copy-I did it the old school way and bought a VHS-and get ready for a total laugh fest.

You've got a tatted up Vincent van Gogh as the villain with Salieri and a plump, fedora-wearing Picasso on his side. You've got a universe with Stallone as the Terminator. You've got bombs exploding and Arnie wearing heeled shoes, his hair the colour of his coat. It's an adrenaline pumped version of "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and references cinema in unsubtle, but quirky ways. It's an entertaining movie from the '90s... what more reason does a person need to watch a movie?

John McTiernan's self-referential blockbuster spoof was a major flop on release, mainly because audiences just didn't get it. However time has been kind to this film, and looking back on it today, it proves to be a pleasing alternative to the more standard action fare filling the cinemas at the time.This time, the typical story is played for laughs as Schwarzenegger does battle with a one-eyed villain, Benedict, played to the hilt by Charles Dance. There are some amazing over the top set pieces to enjoy, with the action completely contrived and unbelievable, and these are the best moments. Take for example when Schwarzenegger is swinging from a crane with a corpse, or the numerous car chases, or many other moments. These scenes are hilarious and are meant to be, commenting on the absurdity of the modern action film.The film is brimming with a host of stars, mainly in blink and you'll miss 'em roles. Chevy Chase and Jean-Claude Van Damme both turn up briefly, as do Robert Patrick, Tina Turner, and many others. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays his typical cinematic persona, full of wisecracks and brawn, but this time it's a more tongue in cheek performance than is usual for him. He is supported by a standard villainous role from Charles Dance, who is memorable with his glass eye, yet also contrived and generic. Anthony Quinn amongst others lends support to the proceedings, and the only downside is the casting of a young, annoyingly bland child as the co-star. I could have done without the kid.With lots of gags, winks and clever moments (especially when Schwarzenegger has to gatecrash the premier of a film starring himself, and he meets up with the actor who plays him, and the bit where Dance discovers that nobody cares if he kills somebody), as well as some of the wildest action to ever hit the screens, LAST ACTION HERO is an interesting effort, unfairly maligned by the public but worth a look if you're in the mood for something different. Definitely hit and miss, but I found it to be worth it in the end.