Most of my fellow critics panned the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, the Last Action Hero. However, with all due respect, I think they are completely wrong. Not only was this a cleverly written and expertly directed film, but it is actually one of my favorite films. So how come so many people don't like it? Maybe they just don't understand it.
The movie is a spoof of action movies. To truly appreciate it, you have to be a fan of action movies. More so, you have to be a fan yet sensible enough to realize how absurd most action movies are. Some people just don't like all the violence. Others, buy into the plots as if they could be real. But the true connoisseur of action movies says "O.K., I know how far fetched the plot is, but I am willing to go along just to see some cool stunts and let myself forget reality for a few hours. When I pick up on the absurdities, I will just chuckle, it's part of the fun."
For example, in one scene of the movie, Arnold opens his closet to get a jacket. Inside the closet, neatly hanging up in rows, are several leather jackets, black t-shirts, and jeans. On the floor, again neatly lined up, are several pairs of combat boots. The knowledgeable viewer sees and chuckles because we realize how silly it is that in all the regular action movies, the hero wears the same outfit! That's what is great about the film. It has plenty of action, but doesn't take itself too seriously.
My favorite scene is still the opening commercial for Arnold in a production of Hamlet. Hamlet is all about how a young man who is not prone to action is forced into battle. Yet in the short spoof, the movie has Hamlet geared up as an action hero. The tag line "Nobody says Good-Night to this Sweet Prince" is pure genius. Yet to really "get" it, one must know both Hamlet and action movies intimately.
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