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Commando (1985)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
4 October 1985 (USA)
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Tagline:
If there's a mission that no man could survive...then *he's* the man for the job. more
Plot:
A retired elite commando has only a few hours to find and rescue his daughter from an exiled dictator. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
2 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(25 articles)
Top Editors Brought In to Re-Cut The Wolfman
(From Screen Rant. 18 November 2009, 9:47 AM, PST)
Michael Jackson's Run In With Tyrese Gibson And The Real 'Spider-Man 4' Villain In Today's Twitter-Wood
(From MTV Movies Blog. 28 October 2009, 7:43 PM, PDT)
(From Screen Rant. 18 November 2009, 9:47 AM, PST)
Michael Jackson's Run In With Tyrese Gibson And The Real 'Spider-Man 4' Villain In Today's Twitter-Wood
(From MTV Movies Blog. 28 October 2009, 7:43 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A classic guy flick with non-stop action and hilarious one-liners.
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US TV Schedule:
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Arnold Schwarzenegger | ... | John Matrix |
 | Rae Dawn Chong | ... | Cindy |
 | Dan Hedaya | ... | Arius |
 | Vernon Wells | ... | Bennett |
| James Olson | ... | Major General Franklin Kirby |
 | David Patrick Kelly | ... | Sully |
 | Alyssa Milano | ... | Jenny Matrix |
| Bill Duke | ... | Cooke |
| Drew Snyder | ... | Lawson |
| Sharon Wyatt | ... | Leslie |
 | Michael Delano | ... | Forrestal (as Michael DeLano) |
| Bob Minor | ... | Jackson |
 | Michael Adams | ... | Harris (as Mike Adams) |
 | Gary Cervantes | ... | Diaz (as Carlos Cervantes) |
| Lenny Juliano | ... | Soldier |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
90 min | 92 min (director's cut) | Sweden:75 min (video version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
Germany:18 (re-release) (2001) (JK/SPIO) (uncut) |
West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) |
Italy:T (re-rating) |
Italy:VM14 (orginal rating) |
USA:R (certificate #27763) |
Finland:K-15 (TV rating) (uncut) |
Finland:K-16 (cut) (1992) |
Finland:K-18 (cut) (1985) |
Australia:MA (Definitive Edition DVD) |
France:-12 |
Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) (cut) |
Sweden:15 (video rating) |
Sweden:(Banned) |
South Korea:18 |
Spain:18 |
Canada:AA (Ontario) |
Canada:R (Manitoba) |
Australia:R |
Finland:K-18 |
Ireland:18 (cut UK version) |
Netherlands:16 |
New Zealand:M |
Singapore:M18 |
UK:18 |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Norway:18 (video premiere) (1987) (cut) |
Norway:(Banned) (1985-2003) (cinema release) |
Germany:BPjM Restricted
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Martial arts expert and fight choreographer Michael M. Vendrell worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the film and by the end of production, Vendrell estimated that Schwarzenegger had become a second degree black belt.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Matrix tells Bennett "I'll be back!", the car window is almost completely closed. Matrix shuts the car door and in the very next shot, the window is open.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Godzilla vs. Megalon (#3.12)" (1991)
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Soundtrack:
WE FIGHT FOR LOVE
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FAQ
What are the differences between the theatrical version and the Unrated Director's Cut?What special features are on the DVD?
What weaponry is used in the film?
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Rating: *** 1/2 out of ****
Every time I'm accused by friends of being too tough or too picky on action movies made for pure entertainment (i.e. the works of Jerry Bruckheimer), I point back and tell them to look no further than Mark L. Lester's Commando as the prime example of a pure macho classic and the standard by which all mindless action cinema should be judged.
In its own simplistic ways, Commando is actually the epitome of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whenever we think of the Austrian muscle-bound star's films; gun battles, fist fights, deadpan one-liners, a total lack of plot, and a ridiculously high body count come to mind. Commando represents all this, directed with high energy flair and a great sense of fun.
Schwarzenegger stars as John Matrix, a former commando who lives in the mountains with his young daughter (Alyssa Milano). Matrix's former teammates are being knocked off one-by-one at the orders of a Latino dictator (Dan Hedaya) who wants Matrix to assassinate a popular South American leader so that he can be instilled back in power. As incentive, Matrix's daughter is kidnapped by renegade military, led by Bennett (Vernon Wells), who was once part of Matrix's team. As soon as Matrix boards his flight, he kills his escort, leaps off the plane, and begins his eleven-hour search for his daughter. Inexplicably joining his search is a flight attendant (Rae Dawn Chong) who gets mixed up in this whole mess.
Commando is one of those critically berated movies that only concerns itself with giving its target audience a good time. Running at a lightning fast ninety minutes, the film is packed to the gunnels with explosive action sequences and quotable one-liners. In fact, the lines are so fun, I have a hard time choosing my favorites. Here are a few examples: "I eat green berets for breakfast and I'm very hungry,""Remember when I said I'd kill you last? I lied," and "Let off some steam, Bennett!"
The script is mindless and idiotic, but serves its purpose by providing just enough plot and enormously entertaining one-liners to keep the momentum from ebbing. There are also plenty of noticeable continuity errors (ask yourself how a guy standing behind a railing atop a balcony could be hit with shotgun pellets without the railing taking the slightest bit of damage!), but that just adds to the movie's list of unique charms.
But you don't watch Commando for plot or technical brilliance, you watch it to see Arnold acting as a one-man army, mowing down scores of enemy thugs and soldiers. Whether it's through the movie's various shootouts, fistfights, or chases, the movie delivers thrilling action one scene after another. The climactic battle sequence, in which he single-handedly takes on at least a hundred men, will either make or break the film for you. Me, I had a blast watching Arnold inflict his brand of justice upon these nasty villains. Unless you don't like Arnold or over-the-top action films, it's unlikely you'll find Commando boring.
Schwarzenegger's charismatic and hugely likable screen presence is undeniable, and his delivery of those classic one-liners is perfect. Luckily, the movie has an equally strong villain in Vernon Wells, who delights in chewing the scenery and generally acting as insane as possible in any given situation. From his manic facial expressions to his questionable tastes in clothing, Wells makes Bennett one of the few villains that really stand out in an Arnold flick. You know the movie's going to boil down to a one-on-one fight between the two, and it's one of those fight scenes where each one takes his turn beating the crud out of the other without one ever truly having the upper hand until the very end (when, obviously, one of them's got to be dead).
For pure mindless mayhem, Commando is a perfect choice for Saturday night entertainment. I first saw the film on its network broadcast premiere, and distinctly remember that in the scene where Arnold hides in the garden house (which is the film's goriest part), the movie is edited in such a way that it appears only one man approaches the house instead of six!