Bat*21 (1988)

During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues.

Director:

Peter Markle

Writers:

William C. Anderson (book), William C. Anderson (screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Jerry Reed

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Lt. Colonel Iceal Hambleton
Danny Glover	...	Captain Bartholomew Clark
Jerry Reed	...	Colonel George Walker
David Marshall Grant	...	Ross Carver
Clayton Rohner	...	Sgt. Harley Rumbaugh
Erich Anderson	...	Major Jake Scott
Joe Dorsey	...	Colonel Douglass
Michael Ng	...	Vietnamese Man (as Rev. Michael Ng)
Theodore Chan Woei-Shyong	...	Boy on Bridge
Don Ruffin	...	Helicopter Crew
Scott Howell	...	Helicopter Crew
Michael Raden	...	Helicopter Crew
Timothy Fitzgerald	...	EB-66 Officer
Stuart B. Hagen	...	EB-66 Officer (as Stuart Hagen)
Jeffrey Baxter	...	Helicopter Gunner (as Jeff Baxter)

Storyline

Lt. Col. Iceal "Ham" Hambleton is a weapons countermeasures expert and when his aircraft is shot over enemy territory the Air Force very much wants to get him back. Hambleton knows the area he's in is going to be carpet-bombed but a temporary shortage of helicopters causes a delay. Working with an Air Force reconnaissance pilot, Capt. Bartholomew Clark, he maps out an escape route based on golf courses he has played. Along the way however, he has to face enemy forces and the death of some of his fellow soldiers.

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Plot Keywords:

helicopter | vietnam | vietnam war | rescue | pilot | 

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Taglines:

Trapped behind enemy lines. A whole army after him... And only one man can save him.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bat 21 was the call sign of Hambleton's EB-66 Destoyer. Hambleton's personal call sign for that mission was Bat-21-Bravo, which was based on the plane's call sign.

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Goofs

When Hambleton calls in the first air strike from the ground, the planes report carrying full loads of "snake and nape". However, the visual shows the planes carrying something along the lines of sparrow missiles. The girth of Snake Eye bombs and Napalm bombs (snake and nape) are easily discernible from the long, slender rocket-like missiles that these planes carried.

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Quotes

Col. George Walker: You know anything about golf, Clark?
Capt. Bartholomew Clark: No, sir. Golf wasn't big in my neighborhood.

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Connections

Edited into Gale Force (2002)

User Reviews

Taut Vietnam thriller from different perspective

Lt. Colonel Iceal Hambleton (Gene Hackman) is a respected, middle-aged strategist who has only seen the war from the air - and high in the air, too. During one reconnaissance mission, however, he's shot down behind enemy lines for the first time. Scared and out of his element, Hambleton must rely on Captain Clark (Danny Glover), a pilot, to help him keep his composure until a rescue can happen.

Most of the scenes are of just the two leads, almost making this a two-character action play. Both men provide stellar performances, with Hackman putting a decidedly different spin on his tough-guy, in-control persona. Glover is equally aces as the tireless pilot. And just in case you think there's going to be more talk than action in this movie, don't fret. The Vietcong are around somewhere, and they know Hambleton's in the vicinity. Not only does Clark have to get Hambleton out of there before good ol' Charlie finds him, he has to get him out of there before U.S. forces carpet-bomb the entire area! Needless to say, there are bombs bursting galore. Jerry Reed, who plays Clark's commander, also turns in a fine performance - a bit above par for Reed - and served as executive producer and composed some of the songs on the soundtrack.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bat 21

Filming Locations:

Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$982,080, 23 October 1988

Gross USA:

$3,966,256

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,966,256

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Vision PDG, Eagle Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1