The Film
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California he was an action star, but like many action stars he thought he could flex his acting muscles in a new direction. Since the Austrian accent ruled out serious dramas he turned to comedies, and while some were decent, when he missed the mark it was painful. How painful you ask, Last Action Hero is the answer - a parody of action films with clichéd characters, over-the-top action sequences and enough deliberate (at least we hope they were deliberate) goofs to stretch out the list on IMBD.
The plot involves the ultimate fanboy - at least next to Harry Knowles - who ends up along side his favorite action film star within the movie, and then desperately tries to get out. It makes for an excellent companion piece to Purple Rose of Cairo, just with weak dialog, bad acting and characters that you don't care about.
The Picture
The picture is surprisingly decent and crisp in this 1080p, 2.40:1 transfer. What is most impressive is that "real" world where Danny, the young film fan lives, is a darker, gloomier world without any range in its color palette - while the "film" world of the Jack Slater films is over-the-top with vibrant colors throughout. The "film" version is a little less sharp however, which serves to suggest this is the dream-like state of movie fantasy, but as this is done on purpose, it works. It is also worth noting that this film offers probably one of the best looks, and likely last of the old 42nd Street in New York City before it was transformed into the family-friendly Technicolor avenue it is today!
Where the picture brings the presentation up a notch, the sound really makes this one worth sitting through. The Blu-ray's 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio is room shaking, notably so in the movie-within-a movie sequences - but would you really expect this to be anything short of completely bombastic? The only complaint is that the audio lacks subtlety, but then so does the film so the soundtrack is a fitting complement to the visual.
The Extras
Did the extras get trapped in a movie within a movie? Because there is nothing on this disc, sans the movieIQ feature, along with BD-Live. Maybe Sony is playing it cool, by hoping to double dip with a special edition of Last Action Hero down the road.
Final Thoughts
Many reviewers are now saying that the original opinions of this movie were too harsh, and that it really wasn't all that bad. After a fresh look, we'll stick by the same opinions from a decade and a half ago and say, yes it really was that bad, and the improved picture and sound won't save the day.
Product Details
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