The real reason why this movie doesn't work..

Genius MENSA member here folks.

Leonard Maltin called it a "smug, self-conscious blockbuster-wannabe" and I think that's a fair assessment.

So much of the film felt like it was beating me over the head with "haha look how silly action films can be" yet at the same time trying to make me care about this particular action movie plot. The Vivaldi character for example was neither funny nor interesting, but a bunch of scenes fixate around him as if he were, until he's unceremoniously offed by Benedict.

In Austin Powers by contrast, the fact Dr. Evil is threatening to hold the world ransom for one billion dollars isn't intended to make the audience go "oh no I hope Dr. Evil doesn't destroy the world aaaaaaaaaaaa" or look upon Austin Powers as a cool guy who will gloriously save the day, instead the plot is purely a means to poke fun at the Bond franchise. There's no split personality going on like there is with Last Action Hero.

It is by no means a terrible film, there are amusing bits, but having a kid constantly go "hey look action movie logic contradicts real world logic" can only generate so many laughs when the writing is weak. Not to mention a lot of other gags are lazy, like a funeral for a mob boss where everyone is armed.

It has a thin premise and it's overlong and repetitive. A silly comedy about a kid transported into a movie didn't need to be over two hours long.

they dangled schwarzenegger hamlet and jack slater franchise in front of us and gave us magic ticket film instead. people wanted the two former.

I prefer National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (also released in 1993).