Commando

Commando 1985
Director: Mark L. Lester
Writer: Steven E. de Souza
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, James Olson, David Patrick Kelly, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Drew Snyder, Chelsea Field and Bill Paxton

If there was a picture to the definition of over the top action movie in the dictionary, Commando would be the prime example. This is a film that has everything, a great hero, a snide villain, great action sequences and classic one liners. This is a film that gets everything right. Arnold gives one of his best performances, John Matrix is a defining role for him that will pave the way for many of his other action roles in the coming years. The film also has one of the greatest film villains in the personifying acting of Vernon Wells. The film is quick and breezed by at a clip and never overstays it's welcome. The fight scenes are dramatic and action packed. With the final assault on the villains lair being the icing on the cake and is one action sequence I have yet to see topped. This is a film that is critic proof, no matter what critics say about the film it is still heralded as a action film classic and I totally agree with this sentiment. Sometimes you just need to shut off your brain and enjoy a good ass kicking and Commando delivers that.
The plot basics are this, John Matrix (Schwarzenegger) is a retired special agent for the United States Government and is enjoying a idyllic life with his young daughter Jenny (Milano). This life becomes interrupted when old members of Matrix's squads who are supposed to be living life in anonymity are being picked off one by one. The people hunting his squad down find him and kidnap his daughter and force him to overthrow a president in a Latin country for a old enemy of Matrix's Arius (Hedaya). He has 18 hours before he lands at his destination and they are expecting a call that he is there or they will kill Jenny. Matrix has 18 hours to rescue his daughter before they notice that he has escaped from the flight. With the help of a stewardess (Chong) Matrix swathes through a bloody trail of vengeance to find Jenny. This all leads to him finding Arius hidden island fortress where his old friend and now hated enemy Bennett (Wells) is holding Jenny as bait and is waiting for Matrix to show up.
This is just a entertaining and action packed movie. Lester has a great action style with his direction. His filming of the car chase between Sully and Matrix is heart quickening and the climax of the scene is timeless and classic and still gets a grin out of me every time I see it. He also does a good job at the beginning with the tender moments between Matrix and Jenny and it really makes you see that he will do anything to save her. The script is really very comic book influenced and that really works in it's favor. All the characters are pretty stereotypical but that really works in its favor. From Matrix as the stoic and flawless hero too Bennett as the sneering and malicious villain it all works. Another thing that really works in the film is all the one liners that really paved the way for most action films to follow. The cast does an exemplary job. Schwarzenegger as Matrix is a solid machismo hero and he hearkens back to the days of film heroes such as Steve Reeves. Wells as Bennett is amazing as well. He plays a great sneering villain and delivers his lines with a great sense of conviction. Chong is great as Matrix's partner in crime and at first she is a unwilling accomplice but soon comes around to his way of thinking. Hedaya is great as the sneering wannabe Tony Montana. Milano does a great job as Jenny, Matrix's daughter, she is weak at points but also at times has the same strength in character as her father. The film is rounded out by solid supporting roles by Kelly and Duke. They are great villain flunkies and carry their roles well. The SFX and effects in the film are amazingly well done and very cinematic. The best example of this is the tool shed fight scene toward the climax of the film. Great use of all the tools lying around and they spare no expense on bloodying up the screen during this carnage filled scene. This is just a solidly fun and entertaining action film that gets better with each viewing. It is a definite must see for fans of the action film genre.
This one gets 5 out of 5