One of Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s most underrated movies is streaming for free right now, and the 33-year-old cult classic still holds up. There’s no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger was among the biggest stars of the ’80s and ’90s, but not everything he touched turned to gold. Most of his films were mega hits, but especially by the late ’90s, he had duds too.
As the action genre grew and evolved in the last decade of the millennium, audience tastes changed too. Schwarzenegger’s old brand of action gave way to new interpretations of the genre, and the musclebound hero didn’t always fit the mold. For every Terminator 2 or True Lies, the future California Governor also had movies like Junior and End of Days.
Because of his awesome star power, it’s rare for an actor like Schwarzenegger to have produced anything approaching a cult classic. Even his most poorly-received movies usually made a ton of cash at the box office, thus avoiding cult status altogether. However, one gem from the 1990s completely slipped through the cracks. It’s one of Arnie’s best efforts, but is still woefully misunderstood.
Thanks to the advent of streaming, even cult classics are getting their time to shine. Free streaming services are helping to expose a new generation of moviegoers to films that their predecessors may have missed, and lost gems are being unearthed all the time. The aforementioned Schwarzenegger cult classic is now free to watch, so it may finally get the recognition it deserves.
Last Action Hero Is Streaming For Free
Joining Tubi’s lineup at the beginning of August, 1993’s Last Action Hero is now streaming for free. At the expense of watching a few ads, Tubi users get a chance to see one of Schwarzenegger’s most unsung classics. It’s the perfect addition to the streamer’s catalog because Tubi has a pretty rich array of obscure gems to choose from. Arnie’s name on the poster will likely draw a lot of eyes to the lesser-known movie. Last Action Hero is also streaming for free on Plex.
Why Last Action Hero Wasn’t A Bigger Hit
When looking at the raw data, Last Action Hero seems like it might have been a minor hit. It was made for $85 million, and grossed about $137 million at the box office. However, marketing and advertising costs likely doubled the production budget, meaning it probably cost upwards of $150 million. This makes it one of Schwarzenegger’s rare flops, and critics were perplexed too.
The biggest reason the movie didn’t do so well is because it was misunderstood. Last Action Hero is a tongue-in-cheek parody of the action genre, and it incorporates absurd elements of fantasy as well. This was not clear from the marketing, so fans went in expecting one thing, and got something entirely different. It’s weird, funny, and incredibly self-aware, but it didn’t let viewers in on the joke right away.
Last Action Hero Is An Underrated Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie
Besides being an incredibly clever spoof of tired genre tropes, it’s also a perfect movie for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last Action Hero pulls no punches when parodying the sorts of films that made Schwarzenegger famous, and he’s the perfect star to put that era to bed through humor. He understands the joke perfectly, and he gives one of the best performances of his career. While it is a comedy, it’s also so much more.
Last Action Hero delivers the explosive fun of the cheesiest ’80s romps, and it’s clearly made from a place of love. The big theme of the movie is fandom, and how magical the moviegoing experience can be. It’s a fitting conclusion to the actor’s Golden Age, even if it came a few years too early. The movie is even better in context, meaning it works best when seen after Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s other gems. It’s only a matter of time before it graduates from cult to simply become a classic.
- Release Date
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June 18, 1993
- Runtime
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130 Minutes
- Director
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John McTiernan
- Writers
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Zak Penn, Adam Leff, Shane Black