Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this spoof/critique of action films has itself an excessive amount of violence, explosions, and killings. While kids may love this, the sheer number of people who are killed or plotted to be killed (at least 15) make it too much for younger kids. Jack's son is killed and daughter kidnapped, and Danny nearly dies as well. Jack is shot and nearly dies, bubbling up blood from his mouth. Also, several characters smoke.
Families can talk about the critique this film makes of action films. List some of the differences between the movie world and the real world. What does this film tell you about the world the movie industry creates? How realistic is it? At times, do you believe that the movie world is an accurate depiction of the real world? Why? When?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heather Boerner
If you rent LAST ACTION HERO, settle in for a long viewing experience that's less an action movie proper than a send-up of the action movie genre.
In it, Danny (Austin O'Brien) is the lonely child of a single mom (Mercedes Ruehl) who would rather live in the fantasy world of action movies about fictional cop Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger) than in the real world of lonely nights, homework, and trying to make friends. When movie projectionist Frank (a great cameo by legend Art Carney) gives Danny a magic ticket, suddenly Danny isn't watching the new Jack Slater movie -- he's in the car with Jack as he shoots at the bad guys.
In movie logic, the tween boy is suddenly Jack's partner, and is telling Jack about the conventions of the genre -- the cheesy catch phrases and how bad-guy henchman Benedict (Charles Dance) really feels about his boss. When he plays chicken with a car coming straight at him while riding a bike, Danny suddenly realizes it won't work. Why? Because he's the comic sidekick. Cue a terrible but comic crash where Danny rides in front of the moon, E.T.-style.
But when Benedict gets a hold of the magic ticket and starts wreaking havoc in the real world, can Jack and Danny get back in time to prevent carnage at the world premiere of the film?
You get the feeling that this film is Schwarzenegger's fantasy: Sick of his role as an action hero and his films' predictable plots, the star now skewers what made him famous. He also lampoons an action hero's debonair image: Divorced Jack lives in a furnitureless apartment overlooking a freeway. He's just as lonely as Danny and even tells Danny not to idolize him the way he does -- a great, down-to-earth message for celeb-obsessed kids.
The other fun thing about Last Action Hero is all the movie references. Watch for shout-outs to Terminator, Basic Instinct, and other genre-defining movies -- How many can you spot?
But playing "spot the reference" won't stop viewers from getting bored with the long running time. And the two-movies-in-one format is unwieldy at times. It gets too caught up with catering to action-movie fans before it gets to the interesting stuff -- like how an action star would adjust to the real world. For instance, Jack is thrilled to just talk to a woman he meets instead of doing what an action hero would do: ogle her, hit on her, or ignore her. Fewer killings and more thoughtful moments like this would have made Last Action Hero a more well-rounded movie.
People who enjoy this may also like stories of other boys sucked into fictional lands such as Pleasantville and The NeverEnding Story, or spoofs The Naked Gun and Top Secret!
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentJack mentions premature ejaculation. Models in lingerie, including thongs, run around. Ashley kisses Danny. A prostitute offers herself to Benedict. |
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ViolenceExcessive violence with plenty of gun shots, explosions, punches, and kicks. Nerve gas is used and people fall through glass skylights. Jack's son is pushed off a building and falls to his death. Jack is shot in the chest and nearly dies; He coughs blood. Danny is held captive and pushed over a building, nearly dying. Jack's daughter is kidnapped and slapped. A body flies through a windshield. Someone is electrocuted. |
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LanguageSome salty language, including "hell," "damn," "goddamn," "smart ass," "asshole," "s--t," and "f--k." |
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Social BehaviorLots of sociopathic behavior here, including stealing cars, killing people, plotting to blow people up. |
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CommercialismThe film is a commercial for other action stars and films, including Sylvester Stallone, E.T., Basic Instinct, Terminator, etc. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoJack smokes cigars. People talk about cocaine and crack houses. Several other characters smoke cigarettes. |
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