TheJohn
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A testosterone-filled, macho bulls*&!, gun totin, bullet flyin', absurd action- fest, Arnie style!
-
Oct 15, 2011
- by Madpenguin
- posted in Movie Hype
Rating:
+4
When a retired Special Forces operative by the name of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) gets wind of his past soldiers being killed, he's later attacked on the grounds of his own home. He's captured and sent away on a mission to assassinate a Latin American president, and if he doesn't pull off the job, then his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano) will be killed. Matrix puts together his own plan to rescue his daughter and kill everyone responsible for invading his life. -summary
One thing I can say about the 1985 action film Commando is this; like a faithful soldier, it knows exactly what its mission is, and it sets out to complete the objective. Commando starring Arnie is the living definition of pop corn chomping, brain rotting shlock. The movie knows what it wants to be and not even once does it stray off track. I was actually feeling down in the dumps today, and the sheer silliness of the film brought me back to my happy self. But for the record, this movie screams guilty pleasure.
Mark L. Lester is one director who never had a problem delivering the goods with the action. From the very beginning, the viewer is treated to plenty of cold blooded murders via shoot outs, stabbings, vehicle assault, whatever. The plot follows Matrix as he tries to rescue his daughter under a time limit, and the result is one action scene after the other until the explosive, super action packed finale. No joke, this final scene has damn near everything, guys being shot up repeatedly, killed with sharp objects, axes to the get, machetes going *chop*, forget about it, this is an action fans cheesy wet dream with some good chuckles to top it off. The movie is 90 minutes long and it felt amazingly short.
Forget about character development, everyone is a plot device to serve in either the carnage or mass destruction. Arnie is your typical balls to the wall, cheesy lined hero, kicking ass the entire time and the hell with names; whatever you see him picking up or eyeballing, he's damn sure going to use it, and the villains are stock bad guys to the fullest. The acting is exactly what you would expect from this type of movie, I didn't think it was horrible or even bad. It was just the right fit to compliment the zany feel of it. The special effects were surprisingly good depicting the violence, very little was left up to the imagination as you will see a guy shot right smack in the head. There's a good amount of gore, with one scene coming right out of left field. Those who saw the movie know what I'm talking about.
The biggest reason I enjoy Commando is because it makes no attempt towards the intellectual. It's completely turn your brain off, ridiculous absurdity, having a grand ol' time from start to finish. Flicks like this is how come Arnie became my favorite action hero back in the days. This is a movie that I recommend only to the serious action fan. If you're a fan of Arnie then even better.
Pros:
-No identity crisis here, straight action and cheesiness,
Cons:
- Weak on plot, Bullshit runs rampant(plenty of folks like that part)
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Post a Comment
RabidChihuahua
October 17, 2011
Well said, Frank. This is one of my favorite "guilty pleasure" action movies as well.
Madpenguin
October 17, 2011
Arnie sure could deliver them back then huh?
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woopak_the_thrill
October 15, 2011
Let off some steam, Bennett LOL! one of the best one-liners ever.
Madpenguin
October 17, 2011
That one was cheese whiz. I was laughing my ass off with that one.
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FM_ALEX
October 15, 2011
Oh yeah one of his best, love it.
Madpenguin
October 17, 2011
I kind of feel like going on an Arnie kick.
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More Commando reviews
Another Arnie 80's action cheese fest, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Lots of over-the-top action, cheesy one-liners, overblown music scores, all so much fun to be had watching this. Simply put, if you love 80's action movies and Arnold Schwarzenegger, this is popcorn action heaven.
Comments (2)
Compliments (6)
Arnold is mad as hell when his daughter is kidnapped and declares war on the world in this action movie. Ultra stupid at times but it's ultra entertaining for an action film.
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Quick Tip by TheJohn.
January 07, 2010
Arnold vs a litteral army to save his cute daughter from a deposted dictator. Super fun and super awesome but super stupid
Comment
Compliment
Movies like Commando can't be made anymore. Oh, a good thing you say? What happened to the simple days when a guy with a gun and any reason you could think of for blowing away a small army was all you needed? Everything now has to be plotted out, planned and it makes for movies while a hell of a lot more logical a whole lot less fun. Less fun means fewer repeat viewings and needing to find better ways to spend your time. For good old fashioned … more
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review by Captain_Couth.
July 30, 2009
Commando follows the story of Matrix (Schwarzenegger), a former covert special Ops soldier who's targeted for revenge by one of his most despised enemies (Dan Hedaya). The goons kidnap his little girl (Alyssa Milano) and they hold her until he assassinates a newly elected Latin American president. But old Arnie isn't about to do any body's dirty work and vows to kill anybody and everybody who gets in his way. Betrayal is something else on his plate as he learns his old "buddy" … more
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Madpenguin
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About this movie
Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film's use of humor in an action film context became a distinctive element in Schwarzenegger's later roles.
John Matrix is a retired special operations operator who once led an elite unit. He left the service to live in a secluded mountain home with his daughter Jenny. Unbeknownst to Matrix, the members of his former unit are being killed one by one. Even though Matrix's friend Major General Franklin Kirby gives Matrix armed guards, attackers manage to kidnap Matrix and Jenny. Matrix learns that Bennett, a former disgraced member of his unit who was presumed dead, is still alive. Bennett has kidnapped his daughter to try to force Matrix to commit a political assassination for a man called Arius (who calls himself "El Presidente") and his gang of other disgraced U.S. soldiers. Arius is a warlord formerly bested by Matrix during a fictional revolution; he now wishes to lead a military coup in his home country, Val Verde. Since Arius will have Jenny killed if Matrix refuses, Matrix reluctantly accepts the demand.
After Matrix is taken aboard an airplane heading to the foreign country, he kills the henchman guarding him and jumps into a swamp just as the plane is leaving the runway. Matrix then sets his stopwatch for the approximate time of the flight. Subsequently, he commandeers the car of Cindy, an off-duty flight attendant, and enlists her help by explaining the disaster that has befallen ...
Cast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
David Patrick Kelly,
Vernon Wells,
Bill Duke,
Branscombe Richmond,
Dan Hedaya,
Phil Adams,
Chelsea Field,
Walter Scott,
Michael de Lano,
Alyssa Milano,
Drew Snyder,
Bill Paxton,
James Olson,
Mike Adams,
Matt Landers,
Bob Minor,
Thomas Rosales, Jr.,
Carlos Cervantes,
George Fisher,
Mikul Robins,
Jackie Burch,
Lenny Juliano,
Peter Dupont,
Rae Dawn Chong,
Ava Cadell,
Charles Meshack,
Sharon Wyatt,
Hank Calia,
Billy Cardenas,
Vivian Daily,
George W. Elam,
Julie Hayek,
Ronald C. McCarty,
Jim Painter,
Edward Reyes,
John Reyes,
Richard Royce,
Tom Simmons
Genre:
Action,
Adventure
Release Date:
October 4, 1985
MPAA Rating:
R
Runtime:
1hr 30min
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