"Last Action Hero"

Title: "Last Action Hero"
Director: John McTiernan
Producer: J. McTiernan and A. Schwarzenegger
Editing: R.A. Harris and J. Wright
Composer: Michael Kamen (RIP)
Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Himself and Jack Slater
- Austin O'Brien as Danny Madigan
- Charles Dance as Benedict
- Anthony Quinn (RIP) as Tony Vivaldi
- Sir Ian McKellen as Death
- F. Murray Abraham as John Practice
- Danny DeVito as the voice of Whiskers

Plot and Critical Review: The story is an adventure brought about when a boy named Danny Madigan is magically transported into the surreal world of an action film featuring his fictional idol, Jack Slater. Slater is a fearless LAPD detective whose commanding officer Lieutenant Dekker frequently yells at him for breaking the rules. Schwarzenegger also plays himself as the actor who plays Slater.

Since his father died, Danny has been skipping school to watch movies with his friend Nick, an old man who operates a run-down movie theater in New York City. Nick invites Danny to a private screening of "Jack Slater IV "and gives him a magic ticket. Before the movie, Nick tears the ticket in half, gives one half to Danny, and puts the other in the ticket box.

A few minutes into "Slater IV", Danny's ticket stub begins to glow, and some dynamite from within the movie flies out of the screen, lands near Danny, and explodes. When Danny wakes up he is in the back seat of Slater's car. He tries to convince Slater that they are in a movie, but Slater sees nothing unusual about his world, which includes a cartoon cat detective named Whiskers and a black-and-white image of Humphrey Bogart.

As Slater and Danny drive along the Los Angeles coast, Danny recognizes a mansion from "Slater IV" and persuades Slater to investigate. They encounter crime boss Tony Vivaldi and his British henchman Mr. Benedict. After overhearing Danny discussing his role in the Slater film, Benedict follows Slater and Danny, takes the magic ticket from Danny, and escapes. While inspecting the ticket Benedict discovers a portal to the real world.

Slater and Danny discover that Vivaldi plans to kill his rivals at a rooftop funeral by planting nerve gas in the corpse. After Whiskers saves Slater and Danny - who had been previously captured - Slater disposes of the body at the last minute and he and Danny get away. The two immediately head to the villains' mansion shortly after Benedict kills Vivaldi. In the ensuing struggle, Benedict and his butler fall through a portal into the real world. Slater and Danny follow.

Now in the real New York City, Slater is disappointed to learn that he is a fictional character and resentful at having been given such a hard life by his film's writers. While talking with Danny's mother, he learns to be sensitive and loses interest in violent action.

Meanwhile, Benedict learns that he can get away with murder and hatches a plan to wipe out Slater by killing Schwarzenegger using villains from all sorts of popular films. Benedict uses the ticket to escape a car chase but leaves behind a newspaper with hand-drawn marks on some film advertisements. These marks lead Slater to discover Benedict's plan.

At the premiere of "Jack Slater IV", Slater confronts the Ripper, the ax-wielding villain who killed Slater's son in "Jack Slater III". In a rooftop scene similar to the one in "Slater III", The Ripper throws Danny from the roof before being electrocuted by Slater. Slater finds Danny clinging to the side of the building and pulls him to safety, but Benedict confronts Slater and shoots him in the chest. When Slater finally kills Benedict, the ticket flutters off the roof and lands in front of a movie theater showing "The Seventh Seal". Death walks out of the screen, into the real world, and follows Slater and Danny to Nick's theater where Danny hopes to save Slater by transporting him back into the movie where he belongs. Death advises Danny to find the other half of the magic ticket, which he does, and Slater and Danny are instantly transported into "Slater IV", where Slater's wounds are minor. Slater insists that Danny returns to the real world where he can live out his life. Danny obliges and steps back through the screen. The film ends as Slater then drives into the sunset.

"Last Action Hero" was highly anticipated as it was Arnold's first project since the massively popular "Terminator 2". Fans and executives alike were disappointed when the film failed to live up to its hype. While it failed to break even in the US, it went on to greater success overseas. All the same, it remains a dark stain on Arnold's career and the legacy of Sony Entertainment. But it's a wonderful film for collectors as it gives us a snapshot of some of the trends in the 90s, especially in the world of blockbuster entertainment. Not much has changed, but it's fun to see some of the faces that we recognize from the action flicks we love.

My Rating: 6/10

Content to Caution:
V-3 - A lot of typical action/adventure violence and some gore.
L-2 - Mild language.
DU-2 - Smoking and drinking.
RT-1 - No comment.
H/S-2 - No comment.
CH-2 - No comment.
S/N-2 - Several of the women in the film world are scantily clad.

The "Reel Revelation": "If Only You Could See Yourself..."

I love satire of almost every kind, especially when movies make fun of other movies. Among other things, "Last Action Hero" is a great satire of the blockbuster action films that peppered the 1990s. Including multiple cameos of characters who starred in other well-known action films from that decade, "Last Action..." pokes fun at the action/adventure genre in general. It's that sort of dry and poking humor provides for some of the best laughs in the entire film.

Satire is one of the most enjoyed and enjoyable forms of humor because it reminds us of how silly things really are. In the tradition of action-films, for example, we're surprised that we don't laugh more often at the good guy's one liners, the infinite amount of ammunition movie guns can carry, and how explosions seem to be going off in any and every scene. While some things seem necessary, we come to realize how ridiculous they really are. It's for this very reason that I take great joy in religious satire.

There are many (probably too many) Christians who take their spirituality far too seriously. I don't mean to even remotely suggest that our relationship and walk with God isn't to be taken seriously; by no means! It is, in fact, the most valuable and important element of our lives. Indeed, we live because Jesus lives within us! That's something to take seriously! At the same time, we often choose to express our faith in ways that deserve a chuckle or two. I don't intend to demean or devalue any spiritual practice or discipline, only to suggest that, with a little humility, we might see just how funny we are.

I was recently in a meeting at church and we were discussing the possibility of moving some things around in the entrance area to the church to make that area look and feel more open and welcoming. A great idea! But the drama began to fly as soon as someone suggested removing a podium that currently holds the book in which parishioners write their prayer requests. Someone suggested we simply move the book to another location, but some people in the meeting were quite adamant about that podium. A podium. We're not talking about Solomon's Temple, folks! It was a moment of satirical refreshing for me as I watched these folks get riled up over a podium. I suspect many of you have similar experiences with folks in your own church.

The great majority of religious satire focuses on the sorts of things I just described; the pointless details we manage to get caught up in as we seek to find ways to express our gratitude to God. I don't mean to disrespect the people who are concerned about those details; someone has to be! Indeed, podiums and candles and carpet color and organ volume are all important in the life of a congregation and there are people who honestly care about those things. May God bless them! But may we not become so concerned with those details that we allow ourselves to become distracted from tending to what is far more important; our relationship with Christ and one another. May we be humble of heart and realize when we step over the line of faithful duty and into the realm of the ridiculous.

Here are a few quotes that I hope will help you to laugh at yourself more often and find the humor in our silly human ways:

"Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not." - Vaclav Havel

"You grow up the first day you have your first good laugh — at yourself." - Ethel Barrymore

"Blessed are they that can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused." - Unknown

See you tomorrow - E.T.