Review of Commando (1985) by Ola G — 07 Sep 2016

Retired Delta Force operator Colonel John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is informed by his former superior Major General Franklin Kirby (James Olson) that all the other members of his former unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries. The mercenaries, among them Bennett (Vernon Wells), an Australian ex-member of Matrix's team fired for overt brutality in service, attack Matrix's secluded mountain home and kidnap Matrix's young daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). While trying to intercept them, Matrix is also overpowered and abducted by the mercenaries. He is taken before their leader, Arius (Dan Hedaya), a South American former dictator who needs Matrix to carry out a political assassination in his home country of Val Verde, where Arius wishes to lead a military coup. Matrix previously led a United States-backed revolution that deposed Arius, who has chosen Matrix because the new US-puppet president trusts him implicitly. With Jenny's life on the line, Matrix reluctantly accepts the demand...

Mark L. Lester's "Commando" has everything what an 80´s macho action movie should contain of. Gun battles, fist fights, offensive structure, one-liners ("Remember when I said I'd kill you last? I lied,"), a wishy washy plot and a high body count. "Commando" was produced just when Arnold Schwarzenegger was beginning to get that actionhero status and when he could pull of one liners and get away with it. I like the 80´s vibe, the latinamerican soundtrack that is played throughout the movie, the mindless and non-realistic action, the sometimes poor action sequences when you see model buildings explode and the great casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Dan Hedaya, the lovely Rae Dawn Chong, David Patrick Kelly, Bill Duke and the cute Alyssa Milano. "Commando" is pure nostalgia for us who were teenagers in the 80´s and yes there´s plenty of flaws and logic holes in the film, but you sort of expect it and embrace it. Trivia: In 1986, a sequel was written by Steven E. de Souza, and revised by Frank Darabont, with an eye to having John McTiernan direct. The script was based on the book 'Nothing Lasts Forever' (1979) by Roderick Thorp, but Schwarzenegger wasn't interested in reprising the role. The script was then reworked with a new central character, eventually played by Bruce Willis, and became Die Hard (1988). The plot of the abandoned sequel would had seen Matrix being hired by a big corporation to oversee their security to protect their executives from being kidnapped. To stop people breaking into their building and to make sure their computers are secure. So he sets it up and hires the most dangerous people to be guards in the building and then lo and behold - he discovers the people he's working for are in the illegal arms business and the big corporation is a simply a front. The end of the movie would see Jenny and Cindy, who is now a lawyer, trapped in the building and Matrix now has to defeat all the people he hired - all the meanest, toughest guards - as well as the security systems, the guard dogs, everything.