While dramas, thrillers, romances, and comedies certainly occupy a significant portion of the public attention, no genre quite captures the fancy of the American moviegoer like action. From war films to westerns, action transports the viewer into a world where the good guys win, bad guys lose, and average joes are anything but. And ever since Jaws invented the summer blockbuster in 1975, nothing has had quite the impact on popular culture -- for better or worse -- than the action film.

Enter 1993’s Last Action Hero, a parody/homage to the entire genre. Gorged with cliches ranging from indestructible heroes to “average” beautiful women, the movie both celebrates and desecrates the stereotypical action film. But lest you think it was merely a function of that which came before, know that Last Action Hero was the first film ever released in Sony Dynamic Digital Sound as well as being the first film ever advertised in space (Schwarzenegger ponied up fifty grand to have the title put on the side of an unmanned rocket).

Danny Madigan is a kid infatuated with movies, particularly those starring his favorite actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack Slater. When theater owner Nick lets him in early one night to preview the new Jack Slater IV, he gives Danny a magic ticket which transports Danny quite literally into the film, specifically into the backseat of Slater’s car during a high-speed chase. Danny then attempts to convince Slater that the world he’s living in is fictional by calling into question everything from the weather to phone numbers.

Of course, no action film would be complete without a villain. Henchman turned head honcho Benedict (Charles Dance) discovers Danny’s secret and steals the ticket in order to transport himself and other movie villains into the world where “bad guys can win.”

Released the weekend after the seminal Jurassic Park, Last Action Hero struggled at the box office. Still, the film has garnered a cult following for its blend of satirical comedy and poignant legitimacy. Many fans of science fiction have also gravitated toward the film because of its meaningful exploration of alternate reality as a way of understanding culture, arguing that Last Action Hero is a first-rate film.