When we look at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s long-acting
career, after he had established himself in two “Conan” movies and impressed
everyone in “The Terminator,” he released “Commando.” It was his first starring
role (not including the documentary “Pumping Iron) that wasn’t science fiction
or sword-and-sorcery. However, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t one bit of modern-day
fantasy to it. Keith Garlington said in his review, “It was pure over-the-top
1980s popcorn action that audiences flocked to and that I still adore today.”
“Commando” was the biggest his for director Mark L.
Lester. It was one of several for screenwriter Steven Edward de Souza whose famous
action filmography also includes the first two “Die Hard” films, “The Running
Man,” “Hudson Hawk,” and “48 Hrs.” Garlington said, “Together they took a story
idea conceived by Jeph Loeb for Kiss bassist Gene Simmons (!!) and retailored
it for Schwarzenegger’s obvious strengths.”
In 1985, Schwarzenegger was at his best physically,
and Lester uses it to a near comical effect. From the beginning shots of
Schwarzenegger quite literally carrying a tree, to him running onto the beach
in a tiny Speedo. Schwarzenegger was the best man at the time for this role.
Yet what really drew him to the role was the chance to play a father. Garlington
noted, “Sure, he’s also a one-man killing machine who can fling an occupied
phone booth and roll over sports cars with his bare hands.” However, the role let
him to show a human side which he appreciated.
Schwarzenegger plays John Matrix, a retired Army
colonel who has left his life in the Special Forces to raise his daughter
Jenny, played by Alyssa Milano. Together they live a quiet and happy life in
their remote country home in the mountains of upstate California. However, their
peaceful and a little cheap existence is interrupted when Matrix is visited by
his former commander, General Franklin Kirby, played by James Olson, who warns
him that members of his former unit have been steadily murdered.
With Kirby barely gone, Matrix’s home is attacked by
mercenaries who kidnap him and his daughter. The man behind everything is General
Arius, played by Dan Hedaya, a former South American dictator who wants Matrix
to kill his small country’s president so he can retake authority. With the help
of Matrix’s crazy former squad-partner Bennett, played by Vernon Wells, Arius
transports Jenny to his solitary island complex, using her as influence to keep
Matrix in control.
Joined by one of Arius’ henchmen, played by Charles
Meshack, Matrix is put on a commercial plane heading to South America and his
presidential target. However, he gives the villain the slip (cracking his neck)
and hops off the plan just as it’s taking off. That leaves him with eleven
hours until the plan lands and Arius is alerted that he isn’t onboard. Also, he
will need every minute of those eleven hours to locate Arius’ complex and to make
his way there to save his daughter.
Garlington said, “After its fast and violent setup,
“Commando” settles into an interesting rhythm as Matrix begins piecing together
a trail of clues that he hopes will lead him to Jenny.” It’s here that the
supporting cast gets even better. Matrix finds a friend in a hesitant flight
attendant named Cindy, played by Rae Dawn Chong, who adds some humor while
still getting in way over her head. Garlington said, “We also get a couple of
terrific heavies including the delightfully slimy Sully (David Patrick Kelly)
and the intense and menacing Cooke (the great Bill Duke).” Bill Paxton plays an
Intercept Officer.
“Commando” is an action movie all over. However,
Lester and de Souza leave so much room for laughs. Admittedly some are accidental
and have even gotten appealing over the years. However, others can be naturally
funny – none better than the handful one-liners. “He’s dead tired,” “I lied,” “I
let him go.” Just some of the purposefully silly parts that remain memorable
after all these years.
Garlington said, “But it all does come back to the
action which we get in spades during the film’s final twenty minutes.” That’s
when matrix and his backpack of machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades,
shotguns, sawblades, pitchforks, and claymores rips through Arius’ army of feed
to the audience’s enjoyment. It’s non-stop murder with a body count going up by
the hundreds, yet it’s an amazingly satisfying finale for a movie that dos a
good job building up to its eventual end.
“Commando” is certainly a movie of its time. Garlington
said, “But is says something that it’s still revered by so many today. As I
said, it’s pure popcorn entertainment that fans love for its artery-clogging
cheese just as much as its wild over-the-top action.” Also, it was the perfect
film for the relatively new Arnold Schwarzenegger who would immediately follow
the film with hits like “Predator,” “The Running Man,” “Total Recall,” and so
many others.
If you haven’t seen this film, why are you reading
this review? You need to go out and see it. This is one of those enjoyable Schwarzenegger
action films that everyone has to see. You will enjoy the film, even though it
may be silly. I may think of this as a guilty pleasure, but I really enjoyed it
when I saw it. The action scenes were engaging and Schwarzenegger’s one-liners
were some of the best a memorable. I listed a few, but there are others that I
won’t say because I make this blog swear free. I know that there were a few
reviews that had swears from the quotes I picked out, but I went back and
edited them. Check this film out and have an enjoyable time.
Next week, I will be looking at another classic
Schwarzenegger film that has Bill Paxton in it in “Bill Paxton Month.” I think
I was going to review these films a few months back, but I’m doing them now.
No comments:
Post a Comment