Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

Last Action Hero/Once Upon a Forest/Jurassic Park/The Music of Chance (1993)

Gene Siskel: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Gene Siskel - Host : As I watched "Last Action Hero", I thought of a line written by film critic Vincent Canby almost a decade ago, that with the homogenization of the American film industry, with escalating budgets and safe subjects, we were heading for a time when, in a manner of speaking, there would be just ONE movie made in a year. And "Last Action Hero" could be that film. It has the number one movie star doing his thing, and also commenting on it at the same time. Ultimately, it seems like he wants to get onto new territory, and so do we. I enjoyed chunks of "Last Action Hero", but culturally, I think it may be more significant than it is entertaining.

  Roger Ebert - Host : I was also disappointed in it, Gene, and also, like you, I was impressed by some of the stunt work, but then again, you can kinda manufacture stunts. The tricky part is to put them in a movie that's worth watching for two hours and keeps your interest. And here, I think one of the problems was, this duality. Because the, the suspense scenes, when you're supposed to be really wrapped up in them...

  Gene Siskel - Host : You know what's coming.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...It's undercut by the knowledge that it's the movie within the movie, and so something is going to happen, uh, in such a way that what you're seeing isn't really what is going to be the pay-off. I don't know if I made that clear.

  Gene Siskel - Host : No no, what you're saying is...

  Roger Ebert - Host : The point is, that the movie constantly confuses you on that level of emotional involvement.

  Gene Siskel - Host : No, what it does is, it sets up a pattern that you know is gonna be kept on going...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Yeah.

  Gene Siskel - Host : ...And so when it's tense, you know it's going to be uncut. What I think they should've done is have it be more bookend introductions and the action goes straight through...

  Roger Ebert - Host : That might've helped.

  Gene Siskel - Host : ...And have a rooting interest where he's really trying to help the kid. Not joking with each other so much.

  Roger Ebert - Host : The one thing that I liked somewhat was the way they kid the action movie cliches.

  Gene Siskel - Host : He was good.

  Roger Ebert - Host : For example, the talking killer, that we've talked about on this show.

  Gene Siskel - Host : That was smart.

• Gene Siskel - Host : "Jurassic Park" has a number of peak thrills at the level of the attacks in "Jaws". And it has moments of real wonder. But when the animals are off-screen, the film really lags. That wasn't true, if you think about it, with "Jaws", which had three marvelous characters hunting the shark. "Jurassic Park" only has Goldblum, the rest of the crew stands around and smiles or schemes. Still, thumbs up for me. The action scenes are really enjoyable.

  Roger Ebert - Host : I give it thumbs up, too, and also for the action scenes, and I feel that really this movie, though, is a missed opportunity, because what he doesn't have here, and what I really missed from a movie by Spielberg like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Well.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Is the sense of awe.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Mm-hmm.

  Roger Ebert - Host : The sense of majesty. These creatures are back, and it's amazing. And right away, after an opening shot that has a little of that...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Yes, it does.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...The movie disintegrates, basically, into a monster picture, where the dinosaurs are chasing everybody, and the people are running away and there's lots of action and lots of screaming. But there's no, not really, uh, any opportunity to give these creatures their due. It's almost like the movie doesn't have any respect for the intelligence of the audience, that they might really be interested in dinosaurs, instead of just in the action sense.

  Gene Siskel - Host : We could've used more scenes, you're right, of awe. And, and that's, well, I think you're just right.

  Roger Ebert - Host : And I think you're right about whether or not it's too intense for kids. Now, I've talked to some parents who have really prepped their children. They've said, "Look, the kids in the movie don't really get hurt, and the dinosaurs are just special effects or they're animation."

  Gene Siskel - Host : That, they're never gonna get.

  Roger Ebert - Host : And, to a degree, I think you CAN prepare children for a movie like this, but at the same time, I think there are scenes in this movie that are VERY intense. Now, it's being aimed at kids.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Yes.

  Roger Ebert - Host : I mean, it's being promoted through "Dino Meals" at McDonald's. And a lot of kids are...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Little ones.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Gonna want to see this movie. For the little ones, I think it's gonna be too...

  Gene Siskel - Host : I've heard...

  Roger Ebert - Host : It's gonna be too strong.

  Gene Siskel - Host : I've heard of parents taking their kids out of the theaters over this opening week, uh, little tiny kids under the age of ten.