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“Last Action Hero” allowed its star to combine his comedic sensibilities, which he’d previously explored with 1988’s “Twins” and 1990’s “Kindergarten Cop,” with his other biggest talent — being Hollywood’s number one action star. Arnold Schwarzenegger had always looked to mix things up in his career, which is part of what gave him such longevity. And while his comedic projects could easily have undermined his status as a muscle-bound leading man, they simply didn’t (see the aforementioned “T2”).
The always shrewd Schwarzenegger, seemingly aware of the incongruity of his varied roles and the waning popularity of the kind of bombastic ’80s action movies with which he’d made his name, gleefully threw himself into “Last Action Hero” to play up the whole thing — resulting in one of his most fun and interesting roles.
But just because I think Jack Slater remains one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best roles, doesn’t mean that was reflected in the box office numbers. Arnie’s attempt to combine his two personas in one PG-13 offering just didn’t win over audiences, with the film bringing in just $15 million on its opening weekend and making $50 million domestically by the end of its theatrical run. (Though it was up against “Jurassic Park,” which doesn’t seem all that fair.)
Either way, “Last Action Hero” was a box office bomb by most accounts, especially considering its outlandish (for the time) budget of $85 million. Fortunately, “Last Action Hero” found a cult following on home video following its box office troubles, which for Schwarzenegger just vindicates his initial enthusiasm for the film.
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