Knowing what we know now, there was absolutely no other outcome than Last Action Hero disappointing at the box office, for reasons that weren’t entirely out of studio Columbia Pictures’ control.
Star Arnold Schwarzenegger had a sneaking suspicion that opening directly opposite Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park wasn’t the smartest move, but the blockbuster action comedy was nonetheless positioned against the fantasy classic that would go on to become the highest-grossing movie ever made at the time, leaving the self-referential caper in the dust.
Critics and audiences didn’t really know what to make of Last Action Hero, either, with the self-aware and fourth wall-breaking humor that defined what looked like a typical Schwarzenegger shoot ’em up on the surface leaving a lot of people confused, underwhelmed, or wondering exactly what the hell was supposed to be going on.
The most ironic thing about the film happened before it hit theaters, though, with the spec script by Zak Penn and Adam Leff designed to openly mock and subvert the tropes, trappings, and formula of the explosive extravaganzas penned by the likes of Lethal Weapon‘s Shane Black and helmed by Die Hard‘s John McTiernan.
Once the screenplay was acquired, who ended up doing a rewrite and then being hired as director? Black and McTiernan, of course, because you couldn’t make these things up. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Last Action Hero landing with a deafening thud, but if the response to a Reddit thread is any indication, the supremely underrated gem’s certifiable cult classic status is in ruder health than ever.
Last Action Hero was doomed to fail by opting to lock horns with Jurassic Park, but it boasts a reputation that continues to grow stronger over time, which is exactly what it deserves.
