There are unpopular Arnold Schwarzenegger movies that I get, like 1994's Junior (though, I actually like that film), and The 6th Day (which I don't like). However, do you know one disliked Arnie movie that I've never understood? 1993's action comedy, Last Action Hero. While it's acquired a cult following over the years, it still never attained Terminator franchise status, or became a beloved modern classic like Jingle All the Way.
That said, Last Action Hero is a top tier Schwarzenegger movie that I hold up there with other Arnie classics like True Lies, Predator, Eraser (which I also need to write about some day), and even Commando, which I consider the greatest action movie of all time. So, why do I hold this much-maligned movie in such high regard? Well, you’re about to find out.
It’s Not Supposed To Be Taken Seriously
Here’s the thing. With most Schwarzenegger movies, you know whether you’re getting a comedy or an action movie right from the start. For example, Kindergarten Cop: comedy. Raw Deal: action. Twins: comedy. The Running Man: action.
However, Last Action Hero is that rare Arnold film where it’s both a comedy and an action movie. Which is it more of? Well, unlike True Lies, which has comedic elements, but is definitely more of an action movie, I think Last Action Hero leans more toward the comedy side, and it’s all the better for it.
The story of a boy who gets a magic ticket that transports him into the movies of his favorite celebrity, Last Action Hero lovingly satirizes the action genre, poking fun at it in a meta sort of way. It actually reminds me of my favorite Charlie Kaufman movie, Adaptation, in that the story within the story is one of the best things going for it.
Because Schwarzenegger’s character, Jack Slater, is just coming to grips with the fact that he’s in a movie, the audience gets to enjoy all of the tropes (like a talking, animated cat detective) that sometimes end up in these kinds of flicks. It’s never supposed to be taken seriously, and for people who don’t like it because it’s so silly, all I can say is, loosen up. That said…
Even As A Parody Of Action Movies, The Action Is Still Really Good!
Do you want to know one of my favorite Schwarzenegger franchises? Conan the Barbarian. The stories are awesome, and the action is second to none. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to find any Arnie film that didn’t have at least some awesome action sequences. I mean, hell, even Jingle All The Way has that fight with Big Show Santa.
So, even though LAH is more comedy than action movie, that doesn’t mean the action in it isn’t amazing. In fact, since it’s playing on the tropes, the action is even more enjoyable because it’s so over the top.
For example, in the first big action scene where our kid protagonist, Danny (Austin O’Brien) enters the movie world, we see Schwarzenegger as Slater in a high speed chase. The bad guys throw some dynamite (from an ACME crate, no less), and it bounces off Slater’s car and explodes in the middle of the street.
Or what about the rooftop scene with The Ripper? The whole sequence (which features Schwarzenegger’s character MEETING Schwarzenegger) features a chase through a movie house that culminates in a shocking conclusion (because the villain gets electrocuted, you see). In the end, even though the movie is funny, it’s also exciting. You can’t lose!
Charles Dance Is Also A Fine Antagonist
“If God was a villain, he’d be me,” Charles Dance’s character, Mr. Benedict, says before smiling and throwing on some shades, and hot damn, if Dance isn’t the perfect villain, then I don’t know who is. I mean, he was perfect as Tywin Lannister (who, would you believe, once turned down auditioning for James Bond), he was perfect in The Golden Child, and he’s perfect in this.
In fact, out of all of the performances I love from Dance, this might be my favorite. He plays Mr. Benedict as one of the few characters who almost immediately thinks there’s something weird about Danny. When he learns about the ticket into the real world, he takes the first opportunity to leave his celluloid existence.
Once he’s here, he notices that unlike in movies, where everything seemingly has a cause-and-effect relationship, in the real world, you could just shoot somebody and nobody would care. This makes him a really compelling villain, as he tries to test the limits of reality, and then adjusts, whereas Slater has a problem understanding why stuff that works in movies doesn’t work in reality.
It’s a really cool role, and Dance excels because he’s just so cool as an actor in general. I don’t think anybody else could have filled this role.
It’s Wildly Different From Anything Else In Schwarzenegger’s Filmography
A lot of people will tell you that their favorite Schwarzenegger movie is Terminator 2: Judgment Day (for my money, Terminator 1 is greater thanTerminator 2). Look, I get it. T2 is a landmark film and definitely one of the best movies of the ‘90s.
However, my favorite Arnie film has always been Total Recall, as there’s really no other film like it in his filmography. Based on the Philip K. Dick novelette, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” it's such a strange movie that is probably more sci-fi than action flick. But, it’s just so unique that I can always point to it to show that Schwarzenegger really did do interesting movies throughout his career that weren’t just by-the-numbers action flicks.
LAH is another one of those. By poking fun at the genre that he built his whole career on, it feels disorienting at times, but also adventurous. For example, there’s a moment in the film where we actually see the whole Stallone/Schwarzenegger rivalry alluded to with a poster of Stallone in Terminator 2.
Sharon Stone and Robert Patrick also make brief cameos, which are references to Recall and T2, respectively. Honestly, at times, Last Action Hero feels both like a send-up of action movies, but also a loving homage to Schwarzenegger movies in general, which is really cool and unique, and like no other Arnie film out there.
This Is Also One Of The Few Schwarzenegger Movies I Can Watch With My Kids
Lastly, this is one of the best Arnie movies because you can enjoy it with the whole family. That’s right, unlike most of his action films, which are rated R, Last Action Hero is rated PG-13, and it’s suitable for most ages.
In fact, I watched it with my son, and he really enjoyed it. The movie came out in ‘93 (I was actually 10 when I first saw it in a theater with my dad) and I remember enjoying it back then (Especially since the protagonist is a kid!). As an adult action fan, though, I like it even more.
I didn’t realize how clever it was back then, but watching it with my son, I realize that it works on so many levels, as he gets some of what the film is going for, but I have to explain the rest. For example, I pointed out the meta-narrative, and he thought it was really unique. He’d never seen a film that did that, so it’s a win-win.
What do you think? Do you also enjoy this movie? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
