Last Action Hero

Entertaining yet thoroughly uneven, Last Action Hero follows budding movie buff Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien) as he’s thrust into the cinematic landscape of his favorite action series after a kindly old projectionist hands him a magic ticket – with the bulk of the proceedings subsequently detailing the young boy’s efforts at convincing silver-screen hero Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger) that he’s actually just a character in a by-the-numbers actioner. Filmmaker John McTiernan – working from a script by Shane Black and David Arnott – has infused Last Action Hero with a fun, fast-paced sensibility that proves effective at instantly capturing the viewer’s attention, with the inclusion of several celebrity cameos and self-referential bits of comedy perpetuating the film’s atmosphere of over-the-top silliness. McTiernan’s comfort within the genre is certainly reflected in the impressive array of brilliantly conceived and executed action sequences, and although O’Brien’s relentlessly earnest performance often borders on obnoxious, Last Action Hero initially lives up to the novelty of its premise with impressive ease. It’s only as the movie progresses into its less-than-enthralling midsection that one’s interest begins to wane, with the increasingly tedious storyline (eg Slater’s ongoing investigation into a relative’s death) holding the viewer at arm’s length right up until the admittedly stirring third act – in which Slater crosses over into the real world and crashes the Hollywood premiere of the film that he’s the basis for (and, in the process, encounters his real-life doppelganger). It’s a fun sequence that ensures Last Action Hero concludes on a relatively positive note, although it’s ultimately clear that the movie would’ve benefited from a few more passes in the editing room (ie 130 minutes is just unreasonable).

**1/2 out of ****