Recap / The Nostalgia Critic S 2 E 30

Release: July 28, 2009

Movie: Last Action Hero (1993)

This review contains examples of:

• Call-Back: To The Pagemaster review; specifically, the Sonic Sez segment about child molesters.
  • Two callbacks to the Jingle All the Way review: The fact that Arnold wants to eat everybody, and the "Put that cookie down!" sound byte.
• Deleted Scene: A few scenes were edited out of the review due to the Critic mistaking Nick the projectionist to be played by Art Carney (who actually played Jack Slater's cousin):
  • In Nick and Danny's first scene, after Nick points out that there's a new Jack Slater movie coming soon:
    Danny: He killed his second cousin. Big mistake! (makes a big explosion sound, and Nick laughs)
    Critic: (as Carney-as-Nick, laughs) I can't believe this is my last performance.
  • After the "Sonic Says" dub:
    Nick: This ticket has a mind of its own. It does what it wants to do.
    Critic: (as Carney-as-Nick) Just like my penis. (breaking character) Art Carney, I'm sorry! You're a TV inspiration, and clearly, I got some growing up to do! (cries)
  • When Slater and Danny meet for the first time:
    Slater: Then close your eyes, stay flat and don't move.
    Critic: (on the verge of tears) That's just what Art Carney says! OK, I'm done! I'm done! No more Art Carney jokes, I'm done!
• Lampshaded the Obscure Reference: "I would make an Anthony Quinn joke, but... none of you would get it."
• Manipulative Editing: Done at one point to show Slater's daughter beating a goon up while screaming like a lunatic the entire time all for Critic to be surprised and confused. For the sake of the joke to work it cuts out the reason she continues screaming while fighting him off, due to her being taken into another room, so her screaming is to make it sound like the goon she's beating up is still hurting her, in order to get the drop on Benedict and his men.
• Mood Whiplash: The Critic is taken aback by the appearance of a menacing mugger early in the film, as well as the way Nick introduces the magic ticket to Danny.
  Critic: Hello, sudden dark turn!
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: The Critic is confused by one early in the movie:
  Jack Slater: Hey, you want to be a farmer? Here's a couple of acres. (kicks a Mook away via Groin Attack)
  Critic: Yeah!... (realizes what Slater said makes no sense) I'm sorry, could you repeat that? (clip of Slater's line repeats) What... does that... mean? I mean, Arnold's lines are corny, but they usually make sense! Is it because "acres" sounds like "aches"? Is it because he kicked him so far it's like the distance of an acre? Are his balls the acres? I mean, what's the joke?! Arnold, you can't just say random phrases and expect them to magically be funny — you gotta think about them first. It's like saying, "You want to be an astronaut? ...Trix are for kids!" (throws a punch)
• Redundant Parody: The Critic seems completely unaware the movie is a comedy, and half the complaints are just pointing at jokes and calling them absurd. Most blatantly he does a Narrowed It Down to the Guy I Recognize joke about F. Murray Abraham, which is a Running Gag in the movie.
• Running Gag: In the Art Carney version of the episode, making sexual jokes about Art Carney.
• Tempting Fate: The Critic says that Sharon Stone and Robert Patrick don't make sense as cameos, and says it's like having a cartoon cat in the movie. It immediately cuts to footage of said cat. He then says that's as crazy as Little Richard being in the movie. Cut to Little Richard...
  Critic: Jean Claude Van Damme. (Van Damme appears) Jim Belushi! (Jim Belushi appears) M.C. Hammer! (M.C. Hammer appears) Humphrey Bogart! ("Humphrey Bogart" appears) ...Chevy Chase and Damon Wayans walking side by side- (said footage appears) WHAT IS GOING ON?!
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:invoked The Critic is excited by the potential of the film's Big Bad summoning every movie villain in history with the magic ticket to wreak havoc on the real world.
  Critic: That's actually a pretty cool plan! Holy smokes! I can't wait to see the possibilities that come out of this—! (Slater kills him) Of course, just ruin the only cool premise in the entire film. Fucking cock-blocker!