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Title: Commando (1985)
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| 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 | |
| Bob Minor | ... | Jackson | |
| Michael Adams | ... | Harris (as Mike Adams) | |
| Gary Carlos Cervantes | ... | Diaz (as Carlos Cervantes) | |
|
|
Lenny Juliano | ... | Soldier |
A retired special agent named John Matrix led an elite unit and has left the armed forces to live in a secluded mountain home with his daughter Jenny. But now he is forced out of retirement when his daughter is kidnapped by a band of thugs intent on revenge! Unbeknownst to Matrix, the members of his former unit are being killed one by one. Even though Matrix' friend General Franklin Kirby gives Matrix armed guards, attackers manage to kidnap Matrix and Jenny. Matrix learns that Bennett, a former member of his Matrix' unit who was presumed dead has kidnapped him to try to force Matrix to do a political assassination for a man called Arius (who calls himself El Presidente), a warlord formerly bested by Matrix who wishes to lead a military coup in his home country. Since Arius will have Jenny killed if Matrix refuses, Matrix reluctantly accepts the demand. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
"Commando" is undoubtedly Arnie's best. The movie begins with John Matrix's (schwarzenegger) daughter (alyssa milano) getting kidnapped. Basically Matrix has a little over 10 hours to save his daughter from an evil dictator, and in order to get her back, he has to take on a bunch of hoodlums, corrupt ex-Green Berets, and a small army.
The screenplay, by Steven E. deSouza, is a masterpiece. Granted, it's not brilliant along the lines of Shakespeare, but for an action movie, it's wonderful. Chock full of wit, deSouza never makes the mistake of having the movie take itself to seriously; he maintains an excellent balance of hardcore action while at the same time creating a lovely spoof of the action genre.
The acting is exactly how it should be for a movie of this genre. I'm a little bit tired of everyone saying "Arnie can't act" "he's such a bad actor" and so on. Obviously, actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hanks are better dramatic actors, but would any of us really want to see Sir Hopkins kicking the c**p out of almost one hundred people in a movie? i think not. Schwarzenegger plays Matrix wonderfully, delivering his lines with the right amount of wit and sarcasm, and delivering his punches fairly realistically.
See "Commando" if you like action movies. It won't fail to satisfy you. If, on the other hand, you are not a fan of action movies, don't expect this one to win you over.