Why Last Action Hero is the Hidden Gem of John McTiernan’s Filmography!

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#3 in my Ranking of John McTiernan films.

For deconstruction to be truly effective, the person carrying it out should have an affection for the subject matter at hand. They need to understand it deeply, intimately, so they can turn its elements on their heads and make the work reflect upon itself. This process requires honesty, but also good intentions. It’s not a simple affirmation, but a thorough examination. Interestingly, Last Action Hero is an example of this approach when it comes to the action movie genre and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s screen persona. In this film, Schwarzenegger, John McTiernan, David Arnott, and Shane Black collaborated to create a loving critique of everything that made Arnold’s career shine.

In the fourth installment of a fictitious cop series starring Jake Slater, set in Los Angeles, the movie Last Action Hero employs real magic to transport the character Danny Madigan, our audience surrogate, into the action-packed film world. This is similar to how Randy Meeks explained the rules of slasher films in Scream. He’s drawn into Jake Slater’s movie through a magical ticket from Houdini, which was given to him by the elderly owner of a rundown single-screen theater in Danny’s neighborhood in New York City. Within this film universe, Danny calls out its absurdities, such as the overly attractive women and the cartoonish cat police officer, but Slater merely considers the boy eccentric. His world is ordinary to him; it’s all he understands.

One aspect I’ve come to admire in John McTiernan’s films is his knack for creating intelligent characters, particularly antagonists. Characters like Hans, Simon Gruber from Die Hard, and even the alien in Predator don’t make foolish mistakes. Instead, they are cunning adversaries who pose a significant challenge. The villain Benedict, portrayed by Charles Dance in one of his films, is no exception. He stands out visually as the antagonist within the movie, serving as a contrast to the over-the-top character Tony Vivladi played by Anthony Quinn. Benedict swiftly deduces that Danny is an outsider and, after a brief examination, seizes the magic ticket for himself, unsure of its power. Once he understands its function, however, he quickly exploits it, recognizing the constraints of his current world and the boundless potential of being able to travel to another world at will.

The central theme of the movie unfolds as a result of this conflict. It’s not groundbreaking, but it beautifully encapsulates the delight and enchantment that movies, particularly action-packed ones with questionable logic, offer. Indeed, when Benedict ventures out of the cinematic realm to find that law enforcement isn’t omnipresent, crime can occur without repercussions, and villains might prevail, he experiences a sense of freedom that sparks Danny and Jack into action. In this new reality, Danny loses his grip on control because the rules he was accustomed to no longer hold true. Benedict’s foray into the real world creates an equal playing field.

In essence, Danny serves as the backbone of the narrative, simultaneously embodying the perspective of the viewers while remaining a distinct character in his own right. His personal life is far from ideal, with an affinity for films featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger that offers him a sense of power. Sharing a small apartment with his widowed mother, Danny’s apprehension towards leaving his home is warranted due to frequent encounters with a knife-wielding criminal within their residence, particularly when opening the front door at inopportune moments. As the story progresses, it’s through applying the lessons from Arnold movies that Danny finds strength and growth.

In simpler terms, Arnold’s character Jack is significant, but there are scenes where Arnold struggles due to his acting range not fully capturing the complexity of Jack discovering he’s a fictional character. However, Arnold shines when portraying playful and charming interactions with the disbelieving child, explaining away absurdities in his universe, and amusing Danny. It’s not that Arnold is poor at acting; it’s just that the script aims to delve into a fictional character grappling with the constraints of his existence and the recurring pattern of bizarre adventures, but Arnold isn’t equipped to handle those moments as effectively.

I can’t help but wonder how this movie might have been different if it had incorporated a genuine franchise as the film-within-a-film. Perhaps Lethal Weapon could have worked, but the intrigue of dissecting a real franchise in such a way could have been fascinating. As it stands, the initial reception to the film wasn’t overly favorable. This movie served as a meta commentary that was actually a decade ahead of its time. Perhaps if it had waited for Scream, it would have resonated better with audiences, but they seemed to dislike seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger parody his on-screen persona and the genre they adored, feeling it was disrespectful. However, if that was their reaction, then it seems they misunderstood the movie, because by the end, it clearly expresses its appreciation for Arnold and his films, with Jack being the one who saves the day instead.

In addition to its compelling narrative structure and thought-provoking themes, the production offers countless moments of enjoyable humor. Scattered throughout are playful references that underscore the absurdity of the universe, keeping the tone lively and engaging. The occasional cameos, the celebration of the absurd as seen in the cartoon cat character, and the central plot involving feuding mafia families and a corpse filled with toxic gas (which, in my opinion, drags on a bit), along with the jabs taken at F. Murray Abraham for his role as Salieri in Amadeus, all contribute to the overall amusement and vibrancy of this deconstructionist piece.

I kind of love Last Action Hero.

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2025-02-03 00:00