Last Action Hero (1993) is an underrated, ahead-of-it’s-time meta action comedy. Genre all-stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, director John McTiernan, and co-writer Shane Black come together to craft something that expertly skewers 80s and 90s Hollywood action while also being a really fun, unique example of the form in and of itself. The script is filled with lots of clever little deconstructions, there are a number of funny, thrilling stunts, and Charles Dance and Tom Noonan make for a memorable pair of villains. It also features one of Arnie’s richest roles. The bit where titular hero Jack Slater meets ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger’ is his most compelling moment here, and thematically it’s the beefy action movie equivalent of Grant Morrison’s Animal Man finale.

Topped off by a bunch of weird cameos (TIna Turner, JCVD, Chevy Chase, Damon Wayans, Robert Patrick as the T-1000, etc.), Last Action Hero is an enjoyably quirky effort all around. It’s too bad the movie was so overshadowed by Jurassic Park at the ‘93 summer box office because the concept really could have had legs. Dance’s character hints at bringing villains from other films into our world, and it would have been fun to see Slater battle baddies from other genres or franchises in future installments. Alas, as Arnie as Hamlet intones herein, it was ‘Not to be.’

More screenshots to come.