Strategic Command (1997)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Rick Jacobson

Writers:

Sean McGinly (writer)
Tripp Reed (writer)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

40,000,000 lives at stake.

Plot Keywords:

Die Hard Scenario | Independent Film

Cast

Michael Dudikoff	...	Dr. Rick Harding
Paul Winfield	...	Rowan
Richard Norton	...	Carlos Gruber
Amanda Wyss	...	Michelle Harding
Jsu Garcia	...	Captain Rattner (as Nick Corri)
Robin Lange	...	Lisa
Gina Mari	...	Mira
Stephen Quadros	...	Vlos
Tim Abell	...	Dino
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Vice President Charles Baker
Warren Burton	...	Colpart
Jim McMullan	...	The President
Matthew Walker	...	Brier
Marcus Aurelius	...	Ernie Wells
Larry Poindexter	...	Jack Haynes

Also Known As:

Executive Command (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | USA:R

Company:

Cabin Fever Entertainment

Trivia:

Shots of the SR-71 leaving the airfield hanger and taking off where also used in Michael Dudikoff's _Black Thunder (1997)_. Portions of the musical score were used in Dudikoff's _Counter Measures (1997)_.

EXECUTIVE DECISION meets AIR FORCE ONE

Combine the two and what do you get? STRATEGIC COMMAND (originally titled EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, the title I prefer, which was also the original title of MURDER AT 1600). Michael Dudikoff comes to the rescue when the Vice President (Michael Cavanaugh) is held prisoner en route to D.C. For some reason (probably budget ones), the plane is a commercial airliner instead of Air Force Two. Due to the limited Secret Service (three guys and a girl), Richard Norton and cronies manage to overtake the plane, courtesy of a traitorous Secret Service agent, holding everyone aboard hostage for the old standby demand of wanting a fellow terrorist released from prison. Teaming with an elite strike force, Dudikoff attempts to save the day and his girlfriend (Amanda Wyss), a journalist who's on board to do an exclusive interview with the Vice President. Nick Corri is the head of the team, who (naturally) dislikes Dudikoff immediately but comes to except him. As with EXECUTIVE DECISION, their method of boarding the plane is by way of a specially-designed plane, this time an SR-71. But the operation goes wrong, and half the team gets left behind, leaving only Dudikoff, Corri, and one other soldier to neutralize the situation. Once on board, it's time to sneak around and improvise since most of the equipment was also left on the SR-71. The film is somewhat hampered by a low budget and the "rushed" feel that a lot of direct-to-video movies have, but it comes out well enough, helped along by a great soundtrack that sounds like a merging of the talents of Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams. Brother composers Eric and David Wurst should be given some big-budget movies to work with. STRATEGIC COMMAND is no AIR FORCE ONE or EXECUTIVE DECISION, but it's decent entertainment for a boring night.