LAST ACTION HERO
1993
Director: John McTiernan
Box Office: $137,298,489
A young boy is given a magic cinema ticket that transports him into the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Cue lots of cameos and eventually Arnie's character leaving the movie and entering the real world.
Why it shouldn’t have flopped: It's the only hybrid between Arnie's self-deprecating comedy roles and his muscle man parts. It cleverly sends up the conventions of big-budget action pics and its cameos and in-jokes mean it's a feast for the eagle-eyed movie buff.
Why it probably flopped: Perhaps too clever for its own good? We all know that movies aren't real life. Do we need a lesson in it?
What should have flopped instead: Cliffhanger. How did Sylvester Stallone get a bigger hit than his muscled rival?
Go to the next flop
