Cast: Arnold Schwartzenegger, Austin O’Brien, Brigette Wilson, Mercedes Rheul, Tom Noonan, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Dance, Anthony Quinn, Robert Prosky, Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Art Carney, Damon Wayans, Chevy Chase, Hammer, Maria Shriver, Frank McRae, Ian MckKellen, Joan Plowright, Tina Turner, Noah Emmerich, Angie Everhart, Bobbie Brown, Michael V. Gazzo, James Belushi, Colleen Camp, Little Richard, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Melvin Van Peebles
Directed By: John McTiernan
Written By: Story: Zak Penn & Adam Lieff; Screenplay: Shane Black & David Arnott
Cinematography By: Dean Semler
Editor: Richard A. Harris & John WrightThis is what I would consider a fun movie it’s so bad that after awhile it kind of wins you over and keeps you entertained if it wasn’t specifically big budget action this would be a excellent midnight movie it’s campy over the top and ridiculous
Where the movie I believe went wrong is that it thinks of itself as a satire and making fun of the action clichés but then it goes so way off the path. (The animated cat being partnered with the rookie while is a good dig at the ridiculous cop partnerships in films it still is a little much) that it ceases to be funny and your left just shaking your head about how half of these supposed jokes made it into the movie.
This is obviously a vanity project for Mr. Schwartzenegger allowing him to make fun of himself and look like a good guy for doing it.he maybe been first but George Clooney did it better in ocean’s twelve while he did it with style and grace. Schwartzenegger does it like a dork laughing at his own jokes while no one else is laughing with him. That is sort of what this film is like it’s making jokes and elbowing you in the ribs so that it’s not really subtle and soon you are just laughing at them trying to make you laugh so pathetically. It’s a great bad movie. Though one of the reasons I think tho movie bombed was that if you are a fan of action films and particularly of Arnold it seems like it is talking down to you and making fun of the very things you enjoy
The plot is a young movie fan from New York goes to a secret early screening with a magic ticket from Harry Houdini who while watching the film get’s sucked into it he tries to tell everyone they are a movie but no one believes him until the movies villain gets ahold of the ticket and comes into the real world and the boy and the action hero come back to the real world where the action hero has a hard time dealing with reality instead of movie magic written for him.
Now don’t get me wrong the movie does have it’s moments it’s not totally horrible but
I think it’s more enjoyable if you are a movie fan to begin with and know a bit of film history. Originally the film was supposed to be about living your own life and not having imaginary adventures through movies at least in the original script it also put a emphasis on reading but for a big budget movie that just wouldn’t work telling the audience to stop seeing these kind of films so they changed it to a action spoof that get’s heart in the last act.
One of the other problems with this film is that while I like John McTiernan as a director die hard is after all one of my favorite films and favorite action film of all time he just wasn’t the right director for this film even though he does get to spoof the shot from die hard where Alan Rickman falls off the roof. He just seems to boxy and restrained for this type of film and uncomfortable with comedy he never reaches the right groove. Too many close ups and small spaces.
One of the things that does work is that this is a all-star film so seeing all these respected actors playing for laughs is hilarious and kind of sad but more hilarious then anything. Anthony quinn in particular. Charles dance as the villain is strange but common as the British Shakespeare trained actor playing the villian in a popcorn film to feed the masses
I say give it a shot a Strange but maybe enlightening rental
GRADE: C
