Megaforce
Encyclopedia
Megaforce is an action film made in 1982
directed by former stuntman Hal Needham
. The film starred Barry Bostwick
, Persis Khambatta
, Michael Beck
, Edward Mulhare
, Evan C. Kim
, Ralph Wilcox
, and Henry Silva.
The film featured a "phantom Army of super elite fighting men whose weapons are the most powerful science can devise", including realistic 3-D holograms and combat vehicles such as a motorcycle
called the "Delta MK 4 Megafighter" equipped with missile launchers. The movie included extremely unrealistic scenarios such as motorcycles (and dune buggies
) launching missiles which proved lethal for main battle tank
s. The dune buggies, "megadestroyers" or "megacruisers", also had lasers that could destroy a tank in a single shot. In the film finale, the main character's motorcycle activates small (~2 ft or 0.6 m) fold-out wings and flies.
It was also made into a computer game most notably for the Atari 2600
. It was planned on being re-released on the Xbox 360
via its Xbox Live Arcade
download services sometime in 2009.
The film was a critical and commercial failure in its release and was nominated for three Razzie Awards, Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Supporting Actor (Michael Beck
).
A sequel titled Deeds not Words was considered, but it was scrapped due to poor performance of the original film. Delta Force
, the 1986 Chuck Norris
blockbuster, had a plot very similar to Megaforce, and in the movie, Chuck rides a motorbike which fires missiles.
introduction to the season two South Park
episode, "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka
", Trey Parker
graphically describes Megaforce as if it were the plot for what the viewer is about to see. Matt Stone
stops Parker mid-sentence and reminds him that he is describing the movie Megaforce and not their episode. A disappointed Parker remembers and says, "We should have done Megaforce, that was a sweet movie, we should have done that." Their film Team America: World Police
includes a number of apparent references to the film, including similar scenes of a flying motorcycle and an underground base where the hero meets various specialists.
Mattel
also produced a Vertibird
and Hot Wheels
play sets based on the Megaforce theme.
A video game based on the film was released in 1982 on the Atari 2600
.
An album was released on Boardwalk Records
, with the theme song done by the group 707, was released as a single reaching the mid level of the charts in the U.S.A. and Canada.
The soundtrack was released on Compact Disc in 2011 by BSX Records.
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
directed by former stuntman Hal Needham
Hal Needham
Hal Needham is an American stuntman and film director.-Early years:Needham was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Edith May and Howard Needham. He was raised in Arkansas and Missouri...
. The film starred Barry Bostwick
Barry Bostwick
Barry Knapp Bostwick is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, replacing Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the sitcom What I Like About You, and playing mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City...
, Persis Khambatta
Persis Khambatta
Persis Khambatta was an Indian model, actress and author. She was best known for her role as Lieutenant Ilia in the 1979 feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture.-Early Life:...
, Michael Beck
Michael Beck
John Michael Beck Taylor , commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Swan in the 1979 film, The Warriors.-Life and career:...
, Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.Born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers, Mulhare intended to study medicine, but was sidetracked by a growing interest in acting...
, Evan C. Kim
Evan C. Kim
Evan C. Kim is an American actor. He is best known for playing Loo in the 1977 comedy The Kentucky Fried Movie's "A Fistful of Yen" segment, the interpreter Cowboy in the 1978 Vietnam War film Go Tell the Spartans, the erudite caveman Nook in the cult 1981 comedy Caveman, Suki in the 1982 B movie...
, Ralph Wilcox
Ralph Wilcox (actor)
Ralph Wilcox is an African American actor born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who has appeared in movies and television shows dating back to the 70's. Some of his most memorable roles include "Jammin' Jim" Jenkins on the Emerald Cove segments of The Mickey Mouse Club, Mason Freeman in seaQuest 2032 and...
, and Henry Silva.
The film featured a "phantom Army of super elite fighting men whose weapons are the most powerful science can devise", including realistic 3-D holograms and combat vehicles such as a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
called the "Delta MK 4 Megafighter" equipped with missile launchers. The movie included extremely unrealistic scenarios such as motorcycles (and dune buggies
Dune buggy
A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the...
) launching missiles which proved lethal for main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s. The dune buggies, "megadestroyers" or "megacruisers", also had lasers that could destroy a tank in a single shot. In the film finale, the main character's motorcycle activates small (~2 ft or 0.6 m) fold-out wings and flies.
It was also made into a computer game most notably for the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
. It was planned on being re-released on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via its Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
download services sometime in 2009.
The film was a critical and commercial failure in its release and was nominated for three Razzie Awards, Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Supporting Actor (Michael Beck
Michael Beck
John Michael Beck Taylor , commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Swan in the 1979 film, The Warriors.-Life and career:...
).
A sequel titled Deeds not Words was considered, but it was scrapped due to poor performance of the original film. Delta Force
The Delta Force (film)
The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
, the 1986 Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
blockbuster, had a plot very similar to Megaforce, and in the movie, Chuck rides a motorbike which fires missiles.
In popular culture
In the 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....
introduction to the season two South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode, "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka
The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka
"The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka" is the sixth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, and the 19th episode of the series overall...
", Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
graphically describes Megaforce as if it were the plot for what the viewer is about to see. Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
stops Parker mid-sentence and reminds him that he is describing the movie Megaforce and not their episode. A disappointed Parker remembers and says, "We should have done Megaforce, that was a sweet movie, we should have done that." Their film Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
includes a number of apparent references to the film, including similar scenes of a flying motorcycle and an underground base where the hero meets various specialists.
Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
also produced a Vertibird
Vertibird
VertiBird was the name of a line of toy helicopter products made by Mattel between 1971 and the early 1980s.-General:The VertiBird helicopter flies around a central base containing an electric motor, spring lift assist, pitch control, batteries, and a throttle...
and Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
play sets based on the Megaforce theme.
A video game based on the film was released in 1982 on the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
.
An album was released on Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records was a record label founded by Neil Bogart in 1980, after PolyGram acquired his Casablanca Records. The label had a huge hit act with Joan Jett before Neil Bogart died of cancer in 1982...
, with the theme song done by the group 707, was released as a single reaching the mid level of the charts in the U.S.A. and Canada.
The soundtrack was released on Compact Disc in 2011 by BSX Records.