Commando -- Review
“I eat Green Berets for breakfast. And right now, I'm very hungry!”
Arnold Schwarzenegger brings his own brand of non-stop action to an 80s classic
Sometimes straightforward, pun-packed action movies like Commando hit the spot.
In a modern cinematic world of high-tech explosions, double and triple crossing characters, tortured plots and a million other new tricks it's refreshing to dip into some of the genre standard bearers from the 1980s. Deserving a top slot on some overdone Top 10 1980s Action Movies list is the movie Commando.
Arnold + Girl In Peril + Sassy Sidekick = Good Times
Starring California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before he found politics, the mound of muscle plays retired commando Matrix who is living a happy existence in the woods with his somewhat precocious daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). Wouldn't you know it, an evil soldier named Bennett (Vernon Wells) kidnaps the young girl as a means of bribing Matrix to kill a Latin American leader. Naturally.
Matrix doesn't like this and sets out to retrieve his baby girl, and quickly enough picks up another staple of the 1980s action genre: a sidekick by the name of Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong). Of course, she's sassy and tries to hold her own against the one-man killing machine as the duo set out -- somewhat improbably -- for California's Catalina Island. That's pretty much all you need to know about the plot. It's refreshing to watch something so quick and straightforward in an era when action movies tick closer to the three hour mark and come loaded with far too much extraneous information.
An Example Of 1980s Action Movies At Their Basic Best
What makes this movie great is the sheer balls-to-the-wall action on offer, some great fight scenes and puns and other drops of humor that actually bring about a smile rather than a “it's so bad it's good” sneer. Example: when Matrix has his climactic fight with Bennett, the commando uses a steam pipe to inflict some rather permanent damage on the evildoer, then quips, “Let off some steam, Bennett.”
All right, it's no Larry David but try not to be amused. In fact, try not to enjoy Commando. It's hard because this movie doesn't pretend to be arty intellectual entertainment and it's all the better for that . From the minute Matrix sets out to rescue his daughter it's a perfectly fast-paced offering that's worth a look, serving up the requisite number of car chases, loud bangs, fist fights and everything else from The Idiot's Guide to Making Action Movies.
Director Mark Lester must have read that book because he knows how to keep things moving, has a knack for exactly when to mix humor with violence, and manages to present a brisk piece of fun.
Plus, the opening credits scene of grinning Arnold petting a tame deer is worth the rental price alone.
