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Commando (film)
Encyclopedia
Commando is a 1985 American action film
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Vernon Wells
, Rae Dawn Chong
, Alyssa Milano
, Bill Duke
, Dan Hedaya
and James Olson
. It was directed by Mark L. Lester
and shot on location in and around Los Angeles
, California
.
The film was nominated for a Saturn Award
in 1986 for Best Special Effects
but lost to James Cameron
's Aliens
, another movie with music provided by James Horner
from Commando. A critical success and commercial hit, Commando is the 7th highest grossing movie of 1985 worldwide.
Retired Special Forces operative John Matrix (Schwarzenegger
) is informed by Major General
Franklin Kirby (Olson
) that all the other members of his unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries
. Despite being given protection, the mercenaries attack Matrix's secluded mountain home, kill Kirby's men, and kidnap John's daughter Jenny (Milano
). Matrix gives chase, but he's also captured when he gets into a fight with a couple of the thugs, and is shot with a tranquilizer gun by Bennett (Wells
), who was believed to have been assassinated also.
Bennett explains that Matrix is needed to carry out a political assassination
for Arius (Hedaya
) (who calls himself "El Presidente") and his army of former U.S. soldiers and mercenaries, among them Bennett, who was dishonourably discharged by Matrix for his disregard for order and has now joined Arius in retribution. Arius is a warlord
and dictator
who was previously overthrown by Matrix in a revolution staged by the U.S.. He now wishes to lead a military coup in his home country, Val Verde
, and reasons that Matrix's familiarity with the country's new U.S. puppet leader will aid in an assassination attempt. As Arius has Jenny, Matrix reluctantly accepts the demand.
After boarding an airplane to take him to Val Verde, Matrix instead kills his guard, Henriques, and jumps into a swamp
just as the plane is taking off from the runway, then sets his watch timer
for the approximate time of 11 hours of the flight. Subsequently, he 'kidnaps' an off-duty flight attendant
named Cindy (Chong
), and pulls the seat out of her car, which would allow him to not be seen. Matrix tells Cindy he needs her help, and convinces her to follow Sully (David Patrick Kelly
) to a shopping mall, where Sully is making a deal. Matrix asks Cindy to talk to Sully again as a ruse (earlier, she had told him to go away after he unsuccessfully tried to get together with her). Instead, she alerts the guards to Matrix, and a huge fight breaks out between Matrix and the security guards, which Sully witnesses. Seeing that Matrix has somehow got off the flight, he tries to find a phone to make contact with Bennett. Matrix gives chase through the mall, even jumping on top of his elevator, and even rips out the phone booth with Sully still inside. Sully reaches the garage with Matrix in hot pursuit. Now, with the complete co-operation of Cindy, who has become convinced of Matrix's motives due to his desperation, Matrix chases after Sully and causes the latter to put the car on its side. Grabbing Sully and dangling him by his ankle over a cliff, Matrix learns that Sully is to meet Cooke (Bill Duke
) at the Sunspot motel, and then drops him to his death.
Matrix and Cindy go to the motel and wait for Cooke, which culminates into another fight and ends up with Cooke being impaled on the leg of a table that was overturned during the fight. Searching Cooke's car outside leads them to a warehouse where Matrix learns where Arius' mansion is located (and where Jenny is presumably being held). He then breaks into a surplus store
that happens to contain a huge selection of advanced military weapons and explosives in a secret room and steals a one-man arsenal of both small arms, explosives and heavy weapons, whereupon he is arrested. Cindy helps him escape from the police by firing a rocket at the van he is being held in which overturns the van via explosive concussive force without hurting anyone. After commandeering a seaplane from a nearby marina run by Arius, Matrix and Cindy land the plane off the coast of the island where Arius is located. Matrix instructs Cindy to contact General Kirby and then proceeds to Arius' villa, while systematically and brutally killing Arius' entire private army of nearly 200 soldiers on the way. He subsequently confronts and kills Arius in a gunfight.
Meanwhile, Jenny uses a door handle to pry away boards nailed to the window frame of her room, enabling her to attempt escape, but she is seen by Bennett, who gives chase and catches her. Matrix eventually locates Jenny in the basement, but he is shot in the arm by Bennett. Matrix then taunts Bennett into facing him in respectful hand-to-hand combat, an invitation Bennett cannot resist. After a fierce struggle, Matrix finally finishes Bennett by impaling him with a large metal tube.
Kirby arrives with a military detachment and asks Matrix to rejoin the special forces unit. Matrix, however, unceremoniously declines, and he, Cindy, and his daughter fly into the proverbial sunset.
, Out of Africa, Back to the Future
, Sylvester Stallone
's Rocky IV
and Rambo: First Blood Part II
.
(based on 32 reviews), indicating generally positive reviews. Reviews from Kevin N. Laforest, Scott Weinberg, Dave Kehr and Luke Thomson acknowledge the film's tongue-in-cheek
humor as well as its status as a cult classic
.
states that the film was originally conceived as a vehicle for Gene Simmons
(who passed on it), and later scripted with Nick Nolte
in mind to play the lead as an out-of-condition former commando struggling with the demands of his mission. Walter Hill was originally involved in the development process.
The original concept was for an Israeli special forces–Mossad agent, who is sick of the continual death and destruction in the Middle East. So he quits Israel and emigrates to the United States, where he is forced out of his self-imposed retirement after the kidnapping of his daughter. This was modified and further adapted when Schwarzenegger was cast; some of the original dialogue can be viewed in the deleted scenes when Matrix says he regrets his past actions.
at San Simeon. The barracks that are "attacked" are actually beach properties belonging to the Hearst Castle Estate
. The house that Matrix storms at the film's climax was actually the former main residence of the Harold Lloyd Estate
in the Benedict Canyon district of Beverly Hills. The car chase scene between Sully and Matrix starts on Ventura Blvd and moves into the hills on Benedict Canyon.
was written by De Souza and Frank Darabont
, based on the 1979 book Nothing Lasts Forever
by Roderick Thorp
(which is, itself, a sequel to his 1966 novel The Detective, made into a film of the same name
in 1968 featuring Frank Sinatra
and Lee Remick
), but Schwarzenegger was not interested in making a sequel as his previous sequel (Conan the Destroyer
) was less successful critically and did not do as well domestically at the box office. The script was reworked with a new central character, eventually played by Bruce Willis
, and was retitled Die Hard
.
(who stars as John Matrix's equivalent) and also features Barbara Porechenkova, Mikhail Trukhin, Alexandra Ursulyak, and Bob Schrijber.
In 2010, it was announced that Fox
would begin filming a remake of the film with David Ayer
in negotiations to direct. Sam Worthington
is attached to play the new lead role, which will reportedly have a more realistic approach.
of Commando was released in region 1
in the U.S.
on May 25, 1999. Common with early DVD releases, the disc featured a non-anamorphic
video transfer
, a basic 2.0 surround track, and only the US theatrical trailer
as an extra. DVDs released in other regions soon followed, some with anamorphic transfers, but the 2001 UK region 2 DVD was censored by the BBFC (approximately 12 seconds of cuts) due to violence. These cuts were brought over from the 1985 original theatrical release. However, a German
master was used for the UK DVD, meaning the film was cut even more than it should have been, leading to 56 seconds of cuts instead of the BBFC's 12 seconds. If the film had been resubmitted to the BBFC, it would be passed uncut under the BBFC's new, more liberal rules. This has proven to be the case as the BBFC's website indicates that both versions of the film (the U.S. theatrical cut and the unrated edition) for the DVD were passed on June 11, 2007. With the unrated edition released, the film is in its entirety, a first for the UK.
On June 5, 2007, 20th Century Fox officially announced that a completely unedited and unrated director's cut
of the film would be released on region 1 DVD on September 18, 2007. Through seamless branching
, this disc not only features an unrated cut (which was claimed to run at 95 minutes, but is only 91 minutes, with 92 seconds of extra footage), but as a bonus, also contains the original 90 minute, R-rated US theatrical cut. Aside from this, the DVD is a special edition, featuring an audio commentary
from director Mark L. Lester
(only on the theatrical cut), additional deleted scene
s, a Pure Action featurette
, a Let Off Some Steam featurette, and four photo galleries with over 150 photos. The transfer is anamorphically enhanced and features a 5.1 audio mix
.
In April 2008, the 90-minute theatrical version of the film was released to consumers on the high definition Blu-ray Disc format.
s in 1986 in an attempt to cash in on the success of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
. Matrix now leads an elite special forces unit (which replaced his old deceased unit from the original film) called C-Team, made up of Spex, Blaster, and Chopper, against the forces of F.E.A.R., led by Psycho (who is based on the character of Bennett) and consisting of Lead-Head, Stalker, and Sawbones. There was an assortment of 4" figures, containing all of the above, a series of 8" figures, consisting of Matrix, Spex, Blaster, Psycho, Lead-Head, and Stalker. Chopper and Sawbones are absent. Finally, there was an 18" John Matrix that came with a pistol
, an M16
, and a grenade
.
, is notable for its prominent use of steel drums.
A song titled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay", featured in the film and recorded by the Power Station
, wasn't included in the official soundtrack. The song featured late founder Robert Palmer's replacement, Michael Des Barres
, and was the only song with Des Barres singing lead. It would appear on the 2006 remaster of The Power Station
.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Vernon Wells
Vernon Wells (actor)
Vernon George Wells is an Australian film and television actor who has built his career around action-type films, most often cast as a villain...
, Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress.-Life and career:Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scottish-Irish ancestry and her...
, Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
, Bill Duke
Bill Duke
William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
, Dan Hedaya
Dan Hedaya
Daniel G. “Dan” Hedaya is an American character actor. He often plays sleazy villains or uptight, wisecracking individuals; three of his best-known roles are as Italian Mafia boss Tony Costello in Wise Guys, a cuckolded husband in the Coen brothers' crime thriller Blood Simple, and the scheming...
and James Olson
James Olson (actor)
-Life and career:Olson was born in Evanston, Illinois and graduated from Northwestern University. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before his 1956 film debut in The Sharkfighters...
. It was directed by Mark L. Lester
Mark L. Lester
Mark L. Lester is an American writer, producer, and director, primarily of action films.After his debut in 1970 with the film Just Can't Reach, he went on to make his mark with such memorable drive-in fare as Truck Stop Women and Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw...
and shot on location in and around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The film was nominated for a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
in 1986 for Best Special Effects
Saturn Award for Best Special Effects
The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Special Effects:...
but lost to James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
's Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
, another movie with music provided by James Horner
James Horner
James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
from Commando. A critical success and commercial hit, Commando is the 7th highest grossing movie of 1985 worldwide.
Plot
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
) is informed by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Franklin Kirby (Olson
James Olson (actor)
-Life and career:Olson was born in Evanston, Illinois and graduated from Northwestern University. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before his 1956 film debut in The Sharkfighters...
) that all the other members of his unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
. Despite being given protection, the mercenaries attack Matrix's secluded mountain home, kill Kirby's men, and kidnap John's daughter Jenny (Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
). Matrix gives chase, but he's also captured when he gets into a fight with a couple of the thugs, and is shot with a tranquilizer gun by Bennett (Wells
Vernon Wells (actor)
Vernon George Wells is an Australian film and television actor who has built his career around action-type films, most often cast as a villain...
), who was believed to have been assassinated also.
Bennett explains that Matrix is needed to carry out a political assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
for Arius (Hedaya
Dan Hedaya
Daniel G. “Dan” Hedaya is an American character actor. He often plays sleazy villains or uptight, wisecracking individuals; three of his best-known roles are as Italian Mafia boss Tony Costello in Wise Guys, a cuckolded husband in the Coen brothers' crime thriller Blood Simple, and the scheming...
) (who calls himself "El Presidente") and his army of former U.S. soldiers and mercenaries, among them Bennett, who was dishonourably discharged by Matrix for his disregard for order and has now joined Arius in retribution. Arius is a warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
and dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
who was previously overthrown by Matrix in a revolution staged by the U.S.. He now wishes to lead a military coup in his home country, Val Verde
Val Verde (fictional country)
Val Verde is a fictional country or city used by Hollywood filmmakers when they require a South/Central American locale without getting into legal or diplomatic disputes.-Appearances:...
, and reasons that Matrix's familiarity with the country's new U.S. puppet leader will aid in an assassination attempt. As Arius has Jenny, Matrix reluctantly accepts the demand.
After boarding an airplane to take him to Val Verde, Matrix instead kills his guard, Henriques, and jumps into a swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
just as the plane is taking off from the runway, then sets his watch timer
Stopwatch
A stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stopclock.The timing functions...
for the approximate time of 11 hours of the flight. Subsequently, he 'kidnaps' an off-duty flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
named Cindy (Chong
Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress.-Life and career:Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scottish-Irish ancestry and her...
), and pulls the seat out of her car, which would allow him to not be seen. Matrix tells Cindy he needs her help, and convinces her to follow Sully (David Patrick Kelly
David Patrick Kelly
David Patrick Kelly is an American actor and musician who has appeared in numerous films, including some major roles.-Career:...
) to a shopping mall, where Sully is making a deal. Matrix asks Cindy to talk to Sully again as a ruse (earlier, she had told him to go away after he unsuccessfully tried to get together with her). Instead, she alerts the guards to Matrix, and a huge fight breaks out between Matrix and the security guards, which Sully witnesses. Seeing that Matrix has somehow got off the flight, he tries to find a phone to make contact with Bennett. Matrix gives chase through the mall, even jumping on top of his elevator, and even rips out the phone booth with Sully still inside. Sully reaches the garage with Matrix in hot pursuit. Now, with the complete co-operation of Cindy, who has become convinced of Matrix's motives due to his desperation, Matrix chases after Sully and causes the latter to put the car on its side. Grabbing Sully and dangling him by his ankle over a cliff, Matrix learns that Sully is to meet Cooke (Bill Duke
Bill Duke
William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
) at the Sunspot motel, and then drops him to his death.
Matrix and Cindy go to the motel and wait for Cooke, which culminates into another fight and ends up with Cooke being impaled on the leg of a table that was overturned during the fight. Searching Cooke's car outside leads them to a warehouse where Matrix learns where Arius' mansion is located (and where Jenny is presumably being held). He then breaks into a surplus store
Surplus store
A surplus store or disposals store sells items that are used, or purchased but unused, and no longer needed. The surplus is often military, government or industrial excess often called army-navy stores in America...
that happens to contain a huge selection of advanced military weapons and explosives in a secret room and steals a one-man arsenal of both small arms, explosives and heavy weapons, whereupon he is arrested. Cindy helps him escape from the police by firing a rocket at the van he is being held in which overturns the van via explosive concussive force without hurting anyone. After commandeering a seaplane from a nearby marina run by Arius, Matrix and Cindy land the plane off the coast of the island where Arius is located. Matrix instructs Cindy to contact General Kirby and then proceeds to Arius' villa, while systematically and brutally killing Arius' entire private army of nearly 200 soldiers on the way. He subsequently confronts and kills Arius in a gunfight.
Meanwhile, Jenny uses a door handle to pry away boards nailed to the window frame of her room, enabling her to attempt escape, but she is seen by Bennett, who gives chase and catches her. Matrix eventually locates Jenny in the basement, but he is shot in the arm by Bennett. Matrix then taunts Bennett into facing him in respectful hand-to-hand combat, an invitation Bennett cannot resist. After a fierce struggle, Matrix finally finishes Bennett by impaling him with a large metal tube.
Kirby arrives with a military detachment and asks Matrix to rejoin the special forces unit. Matrix, however, unceremoniously declines, and he, Cindy, and his daughter fly into the proverbial sunset.
Protagonists
- Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as John Matrix, a former United States Army Colonel. - Rae Dawn ChongRae Dawn ChongRae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress.-Life and career:Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scottish-Irish ancestry and her...
as Cindy, Matrix's initially unwilling companion. - Alyssa MilanoAlyssa MilanoAlyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
as Jenny Matrix, John's daughter. - James OlsonJames Olson (actor)-Life and career:Olson was born in Evanston, Illinois and graduated from Northwestern University. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before his 1956 film debut in The Sharkfighters...
as General Kirby, Matrix's former superior.
Antagonists
- Dan HedayaDan HedayaDaniel G. “Dan” Hedaya is an American character actor. He often plays sleazy villains or uptight, wisecracking individuals; three of his best-known roles are as Italian Mafia boss Tony Costello in Wise Guys, a cuckolded husband in the Coen brothers' crime thriller Blood Simple, and the scheming...
as Arius, the former Dictator of Val Verde until being overthrown by a new President. - Vernon WellsVernon Wells (actor)Vernon George Wells is an Australian film and television actor who has built his career around action-type films, most often cast as a villain...
as Bennett, a former Captain in Matrix's special forces team, now allied with Arius. - Bill DukeBill DukeWilliam Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
as Cooke, Arius's brutal hitman and a former Green Beret. - David Patrick KellyDavid Patrick KellyDavid Patrick Kelly is an American actor and musician who has appeared in numerous films, including some major roles.-Career:...
as Sully, a former Army soldier now working for Arius.
Box office
Commando was a huge commercial success. It was also the 7th top-grossing film of 1985 worldwide. It was outgrossed by The Color PurpleThe Color Purple (film)
The Color Purple is a 1985 American period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was Spielberg's eighth film as a director , and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous...
, Out of Africa, Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
's Rocky IV
Rocky IV
Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise...
and Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II is a 1985 action film. A sequel to 1982's First Blood, it is the second installment in the Rambo series starring Sylvester Stallone, who reprises his role as Vietnam veteran John Rambo...
.
Critical reception
The film maintains a 69% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
(based on 32 reviews), indicating generally positive reviews. Reviews from Kevin N. Laforest, Scott Weinberg, Dave Kehr and Luke Thomson acknowledge the film's tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
humor as well as its status as a cult classic
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
.
Production
Screenwriter Jeph LoebJeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
states that the film was originally conceived as a vehicle for Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
(who passed on it), and later scripted with Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
in mind to play the lead as an out-of-condition former commando struggling with the demands of his mission. Walter Hill was originally involved in the development process.
The original concept was for an Israeli special forces–Mossad agent, who is sick of the continual death and destruction in the Middle East. So he quits Israel and emigrates to the United States, where he is forced out of his self-imposed retirement after the kidnapping of his daughter. This was modified and further adapted when Schwarzenegger was cast; some of the original dialogue can be viewed in the deleted scenes when Matrix says he regrets his past actions.
Locations
The film was shot on location in California. The unnamed island off the coast of Santa Barbara, to which Matrix flies to rescue his daughter, was filmed on the Pacific coastPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
at San Simeon. The barracks that are "attacked" are actually beach properties belonging to the Hearst Castle Estate
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to...
. The house that Matrix storms at the film's climax was actually the former main residence of the Harold Lloyd Estate
Harold Lloyd Estate
The Harold Lloyd Estate, also known as Greenacres, is a large mansion and landscaped estate located in the Benedict Canyon section of Beverly Hills, California. Built in the latter 1920s by silent film star Harold Lloyd, it remained Lloyd's home until his death in 1971. The estate originally...
in the Benedict Canyon district of Beverly Hills. The car chase scene between Sully and Matrix starts on Ventura Blvd and moves into the hills on Benedict Canyon.
Sequel
A sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
was written by De Souza and Frank Darabont
Frank Darabont
Frank Darabont is a Hungarian-American film director, screenwriter and producer who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. He has directed the films The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, all based on stories by Stephen King...
, based on the 1979 book Nothing Lasts Forever
Nothing Lasts Forever (1979 novel)
Nothing Lasts Forever is a 1979 thriller novel by Roderick Thorp. It is mostly known through its film adaptation, Die Hard.-Plot introduction:...
by Roderick Thorp
Roderick Thorp
Roderick Mayne Thorp, Jr. was an American novelist specializing mainly in crime novels.As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father...
(which is, itself, a sequel to his 1966 novel The Detective, made into a film of the same name
The Detective (1968 film)
The Detective is a 1968 film directed by Gordon Douglas, produced by Aaron Rosenberg and starring Frank Sinatra, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Roderick Thorp.Co-stars include Lee Remick, Jacqueline Bisset, Jack Klugman and Robert Duvall....
in 1968 featuring Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Lee Remick
Lee Remick
Lee Ann Remick was an American film and television actress. Among her best-known films are Anatomy of a Murder , Days of Wine and Roses , and The Omen .-Early life:...
), but Schwarzenegger was not interested in making a sequel as his previous sequel (Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer is a 1984 American action fantasy film directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mako returning to resume their roles as Conan and Akiro the wizard, respectively. The cast also includes Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Tracey Walter and Olivia d'Abo. It is...
) was less successful critically and did not do as well domestically at the box office. The script was reworked with a new central character, eventually played by Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, and was retitled Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
.
Remake
In 2008, a Russian remake (День Д) was made. It was produced and directed by Mikhail PorechenkovMikhail Porechenkov
Mikhail Porechenkov is a Russian film actor, producer and director. In 2008, Porechenkov produced, directed and starred in D-Day , a Russian remake of the 1985 American action film Commando.-External links:...
(who stars as John Matrix's equivalent) and also features Barbara Porechenkova, Mikhail Trukhin, Alexandra Ursulyak, and Bob Schrijber.
In 2010, it was announced that Fox
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
would begin filming a remake of the film with David Ayer
David Ayer
David Ayer is an American screenwriter, film producer and film director.-Early life:David Ayer was born in Champaign, Illinois in 1968. He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota and Bethesda, Maryland, where he was kicked out of his house by his parents as a teenager...
in negotiations to direct. Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry J. "Sam" Worthington is an English born, Australian actor. After almost a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation and the lead role, Jake Sully, in James Cameron's science...
is attached to play the new lead role, which will reportedly have a more realistic approach.
DVD releases
The first DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of Commando was released in region 1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 25, 1999. Common with early DVD releases, the disc featured a non-anamorphic
Anamorphic format
Anamorphic format is a term that can be used either for: the cinematography technique of capturing a widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film, or other visual recording media, with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio; or a photographic projection format in which the original image requires an...
video transfer
Transfer
Transfer may refer to:* Transfer * Transfer * Transfer DNA, the transferred DNA of the tumor-inducing plasmid of some species of bacteria such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens* Transfer...
, a basic 2.0 surround track, and only the US theatrical trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
as an extra. DVDs released in other regions soon followed, some with anamorphic transfers, but the 2001 UK region 2 DVD was censored by the BBFC (approximately 12 seconds of cuts) due to violence. These cuts were brought over from the 1985 original theatrical release. However, a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
master was used for the UK DVD, meaning the film was cut even more than it should have been, leading to 56 seconds of cuts instead of the BBFC's 12 seconds. If the film had been resubmitted to the BBFC, it would be passed uncut under the BBFC's new, more liberal rules. This has proven to be the case as the BBFC's website indicates that both versions of the film (the U.S. theatrical cut and the unrated edition) for the DVD were passed on June 11, 2007. With the unrated edition released, the film is in its entirety, a first for the UK.
On June 5, 2007, 20th Century Fox officially announced that a completely unedited and unrated director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
of the film would be released on region 1 DVD on September 18, 2007. Through seamless branching
Seamless branching
Seamless branching is a mechanism used on DVDs and Blu-ray Discs to allow the player to jump to a different scene after finishing one. The most common purpose is to have several versions of a scene within one film, without having to store the entire film on the disc several times.A popular example...
, this disc not only features an unrated cut (which was claimed to run at 95 minutes, but is only 91 minutes, with 92 seconds of extra footage), but as a bonus, also contains the original 90 minute, R-rated US theatrical cut. Aside from this, the DVD is a special edition, featuring an audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
from director Mark L. Lester
Mark L. Lester
Mark L. Lester is an American writer, producer, and director, primarily of action films.After his debut in 1970 with the film Just Can't Reach, he went on to make his mark with such memorable drive-in fare as Truck Stop Women and Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw...
(only on the theatrical cut), additional deleted scene
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
s, a Pure Action featurette
Featurette
Featurette is a term used in the American film industry to designate a film whose length is approximately three quarters of a reel, or about 20–44 minutes in running time - thus midway between a short subject and a feature film; thus it is a "small feature"...
, a Let Off Some Steam featurette, and four photo galleries with over 150 photos. The transfer is anamorphically enhanced and features a 5.1 audio mix
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
.
In April 2008, the 90-minute theatrical version of the film was released to consumers on the high definition Blu-ray Disc format.
Toy line
Diamond Toymakers released a line of action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s in 1986 in an attempt to cash in on the success of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
. Matrix now leads an elite special forces unit (which replaced his old deceased unit from the original film) called C-Team, made up of Spex, Blaster, and Chopper, against the forces of F.E.A.R., led by Psycho (who is based on the character of Bennett) and consisting of Lead-Head, Stalker, and Sawbones. There was an assortment of 4" figures, containing all of the above, a series of 8" figures, consisting of Matrix, Spex, Blaster, Psycho, Lead-Head, and Stalker. Chopper and Sawbones are absent. Finally, there was an 18" John Matrix that came with a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
, an M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, and a grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack album was released by Varèse Sarabande on December 2, 2003 as part of the label's CD Club and was limited to 3000 copies. The score, composed by James HornerJames Horner
James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
, is notable for its prominent use of steel drums.
A song titled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay", featured in the film and recorded by the Power Station
Power Station (band)
Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor . Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer. For a short time he also functioned as Power...
, wasn't included in the official soundtrack. The song featured late founder Robert Palmer's replacement, Michael Des Barres
Michael Des Barres
Lord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
, and was the only song with Des Barres singing lead. It would appear on the 2006 remaster of The Power Station
The Power Station (album)
The Power Station is the debut album by The Power Station. It was released in 1985 on EMI. The album peaked at no. 6 on U.S. Billboard 200 and no. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. All three singles released from the album were Top 40 hits in the United States...
.
Track listing
- "Prologue/Main Title" – 3:58
- "Ambush and Kidnapping" – 2:35
- "Captured" – 2:14
- "Surprise" – 8:19
- "Sully Runs" – 4:34
- "Moving Jenny" – 3:44
- "Matrix Breaks In" – 3:30
- "Infiltration, Showdown and Finale" – 14:32
External links
- Commando at the Internet Movie Firearm Database