Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Last Action Hero Blu-ray Movie Review

A classic Parody film earns a mediocre Blu-ray release.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 9, 2010

'I'll be back'...Ha! I bet you didn't know I was going to say that, did you?

If there is any director alive that knows Action movies and is abundantly qualified to spoof them, it's John McTiernan. The man behind arguably the quintessential Action flick of all-time -- Die Hard -- and also the director of two more contemporary classics in Predator and The Hunt for Red October, McTiernan certainly understands not just the genre but what makes its movies worthwhile and indeed memorable in a world filled with mindless tripe that's good for a few laughs but otherwise terribly repetitive and of minimal entertainment, thematic, and even emotional value. After his four-year run of cranking out the trio of aforementioned Action masterpieces, McTiernan set his sights on a new project, one that would rewrite the books on what makes for a highly successful tongue-in-cheek Parody of the Action film, and only two films since -- Shoot 'Em Up and Hot Fuzz -- have done it as well, if not better. For this trendsetting flick, then, who better to cast in the lead role than the era's -- and perhaps history's -- most prominent Action star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had previously teamed up with McTiernan in the director's first exceptional Action movie, 1987's Pedator. With a strong script that spoofs a broad array of Action movie clichés but without ever feeling forced into the plot -- even considering its fantastical and magical overtones -- McTiernan's Last Action Hero is one of the best of its kind.

Which is the better fictional movie: Arnold's 'Hamlet' or Lee Majors' 'The Night the Reindeer Died?'

The bad puns, the voice, the hard rock...this is happening, this is really happening!

Young Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) has seen Jack Slater III six times in the theater, and his regular visits have earned him a friendship with the venue's eccentric projectionist, Nick (Robert Prosky). The release of Jack Slater IV is just around the corner, and Nick invites Danny to attend a special print-check screening -- before the film's official release date. Nick gives Danny an old ticket that was once given to Nick by Harry Houdini himself, and it doesn't take long for the old magician's power to once again come to life during the screening. A bundle of dynamite flies through the screen, and Danny soon finds himself in the back of Jack Slater's (Schwarzenegger) convertible and in the midst of the same shootout that he had just been watching from the comfort and safety of the theater. Danny's efforts to prove to Jack that they're in a movie -- even in spite of the many coincidences and baseless realities to be found in Slater's world -- prove futile, until Danny begins sharing secret information with Jack that he learned from watching the first part of the film and, indeed, the previous three entries in the Slater franchise. The two officially team up as partners, and the race is on to stop the bad guys in Jack's world and return Danny to his own.

I'm the famous comedian, Arnold Braunschweiger!

The actual plot not of Last Action Hero but rather the movie within the movie -- Jack Slater IV -- matters not. It's but a mere backdrop through which to allow the boy to enter the world behind the silver screen and to provide an antagonist and wave of villains to fight off through the plethora of parody that knocks everything from the Lethal Weapon films to Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Indeed, one of the picture's greatest assets is Arnold's willingness -- and the uncanny ability with which he pulls it off -- to lay into not only himself but specific characters he's played, whether placing Sylvester Stallone's (Cliffhanger) head on a Terminator 2 standup, working in his famous "I'll be back" slogan, or even lampooning the "real life" Arnold and his promotion of the lesser body count in Slater IV. Arnold's willingness to poke fun at both the genre that made him famous -- and its biggest star, himself -- is why Last Action Hero works so well as a straight parody, and it's crucial that audiences don't take it any other way. As strictly an action film, it's fine but wholly forgettable, and as a Buddy Cop Comedy it's only slightly better than Cop and a Half, but the film is so good at effortlessly and, sometimes, rather subtly, prodding its own genre that it might be difficult for all but the most ardent of Action movie fans to truly appreciate the genius of the picture.

Since you are about to die anyway, I may as well tell you the entire plot.

Considering the fantastical plot that's more a young boy's fantasy than anything else, Last Action Hero is a film not meant to be taken seriously; at least in the film's broader plot and action sequences, the picture is best enjoyed through a lens of detachment that forgives some of the nonsensical developments and over-the-top stunts and characters in favor of the intended satirical tone that's impossible to miss, given that viewers have more than a passing familiarity with the Action genre. Still, McTiernan has smartly worked in a heart and soul that gives the film a dramatic weight that's obvious but not overbearing or at the expense of the greater gag. The film does well to contrast reality with fiction, showing the stylized world of the movies against a backdrop of real-life violence, heartache, and hurt. In the "real" world, Danny lives in a broken home, is mugged, and is witness to violence and despair on the street as he retreats to the sanctuary of the old movie house where he can revel in the larger-than-life excitement of characters that might live in a slicker, happier world but also have no outlet for their scripted but to them all-too-real pain. Both worlds are flawed, but Last Action Hero posits that, in the end, it's the ability to understand hurt, to accept it, and to have a way to cope with it that's superior to some fictionalized world where, even if injuries are always only flesh wounds, pistol magazines never empty, bombs never kill the good guys, women are universally attractive, and good always prevails over evil, there's no substitute for real love, understanding, and emotion, even in the midst of the harsh realities of real life.

To be, or not to be...not to be.

Still, Last Action Hero is a film that over the years has been either terribly misunderstood or outright dismissed for whatever reason, a true shame considering that it is in many ways one of Schwarzenegger's best movies. It's infinitely clever, nicely acted, strongly written so as to be goofy and over-the-top in Slater's world but far more complex and even emotionally and thematically relevant in Danny's "real world," and just a joy to watch time and again. The jokes never get stale because they ring so true of the Action genre, and it's often difficult to watch other, lesser straight Action pictures and not think of some scene in Last Action Hero that in some way relates. If there's a real flaw, it's that the film does run a bit long for a movie of this sort, but even at two-plus hours, there's little fluff, but the Slater IV plot could have been shaved down a bit and simplified a tad for the sake of pacing. Nevertheless, Last Action Hero features solid direction that reinforces every plot and thematic point without feeling overbearing, and McTiernan's work is complimented nicely by the late Michael Kamen's (X-Men) score. Last but not least, Last Action Hero is packed with celebrities both playing a role in the plot (Anthony Quinn, F. Murray Abraham, Ian McKellen Mercedes Ruehl, Art Carney, Charles Dance, and Frank McRae) and appearing as "themselves" (Maria Shriver, James Belushi, Robert Patrick, M.C. Hammer, Sharon Stone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others).

Last Action Hero Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Last Action Hero transports onto Blu-ray with a decent but somewhat underwhelming 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer that's a tale of two worlds, visually and thematically. The film looks rather messy -- but seemingly intentionally so -- in the "real world" that Danny inhabits and that comprises the film's opening and final acts. Gloomy, grainy, dark, and devoid of bright primary colors, there's little of visual interest here; even the classic theater shows its age, the plush seating dim and faded, patched and grimy, and the general lighting and wall colors diminished and worn. There's a slight push to a warmer overall hue, and flesh tones often appear with a similar tint. The image appears rather flat, with lifeless detail and overpowering blacks. Once the action shifts to the world inside the silver screen, the image brightens considerably; colors are far more vibrant, detail resolution increased, and the sense of depth more discernible. Still, the image isn't exactly pristine, as there's a touch of softness in places -- though far less exaggerated than scenes taking place in Danny's world -- and fine detailing and textures never come close to matching even those seen in the better, not to mention top-tier, Blu-ray discs. Still, the transfer's back-and-forth and sometimes messy look seems more reflective of McTiernan's directorial decisions rather than any major fault of the transfer, and regardless, this is the best home presentation of Last Action Hero yet.

Last Action Hero Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray release of Last Action Hero offers listeners a rocking DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. A film packed with gunfire and explosions, there's no shortage of excessively loud sounds of action as machine guns spit out round after round in rapid succession and with a devastating barrage of noise inflicted throughout the soundstage. Slater's never-empty Desert Eagle hand cannon delivers each successive shot with a hefty thud, while several large-scale explosions send sonic shockwaves through the listening area, leaving listeners dazed, battered, and filthy but not dead (note: untested on fictional police officers two days away from retirement). While the action segments are exciting and true, the track does stumble a bit when it comes to recreating ambient effects. City traffic, pedestrian chatter, falling rain, and other sounds of the real world are often overly loud at reference levels and seem to jumble together a bit, each effect strong but not necessarily precise; there's a noticeable lack of harmony in such scenes, with none of the effects meshing particularly well to create a more believable or lifelike atmosphere. However, musical reproduction -- whether Classical notes or hard-hitting Rock numbers -- is sound, and dialogue never misses a beat. Last Action Hero excels where it counts, but it's not quite as polished and refined as Blu-ray's best.

Last Action Hero Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Last Action Hero features only BD-Live functionality; Sony's MovieIQ feature; and 1080p trailers for The Da Vinci Code, Ghostbusters, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A River Runs Through It, Angels & Demons, Michael Jackson's This is It, Armored, The Stepfather, Soul Power, and It Might Get Loud.

Last Action Hero Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Indeed, film for film and despite a couple of misfires in an otherwise exemplary resumé, there was at one point nobody better in the Action movie business than John McTiernan, and after a string of cranking out three of the most successful Action films of all time, the Director proved himself abundantly capable of delivering what was -- and still arguably is -- the quintessential Action movie spoof in Last Action Hero. Starring history's biggest Action hero and delivering a fun and magical plot that perfectly intermixes general parody of the Action movie business, Last Action Hero makes for an infinitely re-watchable picture for Action and Arnold fans alike. Sony's Blu-ray release, however, is rather tepid, featuring decent 1080p picture quality, a booming lossless soundtrack, and next to no extras. Recommended for diehard fans of the film, but more casual viewers should wait for -- hopefully -- a special edition at some point in the future.