An Arnold Schwarzenegger backlash had been on the cards for some time and when this extravaganza was released the knives were well and truly out.
It was actually all a little unfair because this is a smart, funny blockbuster that gave director John McTiernan the opportunity to send up not only Schwarzenegger’s heroic image but also the action genre itself.
The story centres around 11-year-old Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien) who finds himself sucked into the celluloid world of his biggest hero, fictional supercop Jack Slater (Schwarzenegger), as he tracks the bad guys (Charles Dance and Anthony Quinn) in his latest film.
Things become complicated when the fictional characters take the chance to escape into the real world.
Schwarzenegger has rarely been better and he is backed up by a never-ending stream of star names in cameo roles, including James Belushi, Sharon Stone, Joan Plowright, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chevy Chase, plus Terminator 2‘s James Cameron, Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong.
Jack Slater
Arnold Schwarzenegger John Practice
F Murray Abraham Frank
Art Carney Benedict
Charles Dance Dekker
Frank McRae Ripper
Tom Noonan Nick
Robert Prosky Vivaldi
Anthony Quinn Mom
Mercedes Ruehl Danny Madigan
Austin O’Brien Death
Ian McKellen
Director
John McTiernan
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