Last Action Hero (1993)

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Plot

The film begins with Daniel “Danny” Madigan (Austin O’Brien) skipping school to watch movies with his friend Nick (Robert Prosky,) an older gentleman who owns and operates an old, run-down movie theater. Madigan is continually skipping school in order to watch movies ever since his father died. Nick offers to show Danny a private screening of Jack Slater IV starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Madigan’s idol. Nick then gives Madigan a magic ticket that was given to Nick by Harry Houdini, Nick then tears the ticket in half, one half kept by Madigan and the other is put into the ticket box. A few minutes into the movie, Madigan’ ticket begins to glow and a bundle of dynamite flies out of the screen and explodes near Danny. Madigan wakes up to find that he is in a car driven by Slater which is being chased through Los Angles in the story of Slater IV. While Slater and Madigan look for the bad guys, Madigan attempts to convince Slater that they are in a movie, but Slater does not believe him.

Madigan convinces Slater to investigate a coastal mansion after recognizing it from the introduction of the movie, skeptically Slater checks it out only to meet crime boss Tony Vivaldi (Anthony Quinn) and his right-hand man Mr. Benedict (Charles Dance). Benedict follows Slater and Madigan to Whitney’s (Bridgette Wilson) house, Slater’s daughter, after he overhears Madigan discussing his role in the film. Benedict then takes the ticket from Madigan after raiding Whitney’s house with a pack of thugs and escapes during a firefight. After returning to the mansion, Benedict discovers a portal to the real world.

Madigan and Slater figure out Vivaldi’s plan to kill his adversaries at a rooftop funeral using nerve gas that is planted in the dead body. Slater then tells Madigan to use a nearby construction crane, Slater then takes the rigged body, escapes from the funeral and disposes of the body with help from Madigan in the crane. Slater and Madigan then escape with the help of Whitney in her truck. Slater then uses the truck to crash into the mansion where Vivaldi is located only to find out that Benedict has killed Vivaldi. In the ensuing fight, Benedict and his butler fall into the portal that leads to the real world, Slater and Madigan quickly follow both. Slater quickly becomes downtrodden once he learns that he is a fictional character and resents having lived such a harsh life at the hands of the film writers. Slater then learns to be sensitive and loses interest in violence after talking with Madigan’s mom.

Benedict in the meantime devises a plan to destroy Slater by killing the real Arnold Schwarzenegger. Slater figures out Benedicts plan after a newspaper is left behind after a car chase between Benedict and Slater in which Benedict uses the ticket to escape. During the premiere of Slater IV, Slater meets up with the Ripper (Tom Noonan,) an ax-wielding murderer who killed Slater’s son in Jack Slater III. The Ripper is brought into the real world by Benedict. The Ripper captures Madigan and throws him from a rooftop but is electrocuted by Slater. Slater then finds Madigan hanging by his fingertips from the side of the building and pulls him to safety. However, Benedict shoots Slater in the chest but Slater is still able to kill Benedict the ticket flies off the roof though, and lands in front of a movie theater playing The Seventh Seal.

Death (Ian McKellen) emerges from the portal and follows Slater and Madigan back to Nick’s theater. Madigan is hoping to save Slater by putting him back into Slater IV, after Death tells Madigan to find the other half of the ticket, Slater is able to be brought back into the movie where his wounds are only minor. The film ends with Slater convincing Madigan to return to the real world and Slater explaining his new found information to his superior officer Lieutenant Dekker (Frank McRae) and both drive off into the sunset.