During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues.
Get the best new trailers in under a minute, including Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.
Related News
-
'The Boys & Girl From County Clare' producer Evzen Kolar dies aged 67
14 July 2017 | ScreenDaily -
TNT Announces 2011 Fall/Winter Schedule
23 August 2011 | MovieWeb -
Useless Trivia: Christopher Young track titles
27 January 2009 | Daily Film Music Blog
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Bat*21 (1988)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
1 nomination.
See more awards »
Learn more
More Like This
Flight of the Intruder
(1991)
Action
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
John Milius
Stars:
Danny Glover,
Willem Dafoe,
Brad Johnson
Uncommon Valor
(1983)
Action
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Ted Kotcheff
Stars:
Gene Hackman,
Patrick Swayze,
Robert Stack
Class Action
(1991)
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Michael Apted
Stars:
Gene Hackman,
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio,
Colin Friels
The Package
(1989)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Andrew Davis
Stars:
Gene Hackman,
Tommy Lee Jones,
Joanna Cassidy
Target
(1985)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Crime
Director:
Arthur Penn
Stars:
Gene Hackman,
Matt Dillon,
Gayle Hunnicutt
Narrow Margin
(1990)
Action
|
Crime
|
Thriller
Director:
Peter Hyams
Stars:
Gene Hackman,
Anne Archer,
James Sikking
Edit
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) |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
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. Written by garykmcd
Taglines:
Trapped behind enemy lines. A whole army after him... And only one man can save him.Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 October 1988 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Bat 21 See more »Filming Locations:
Sabah, Borneo, MalaysiaEdit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$3,966,256Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$11,300,000Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Capt. Bartholomew Clark: No, sir. Golf wasn't big in my neighborhood.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This movie was made five years after Uncommon Valor (1983), which also starred Gene Hackman, who in that movie, was responsible for recruiting a band of brothers, to bring home several of their buddy soldiers, who were still missing in action from the Vietnam War. This movie represents the opposite of this. In this movie, Hackman is trapped behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War, and it is he who needs to be rescued. See more »Goofs
After driving through the mud the tires on the jeep are dry with very little mud when Bartholomew Clark gets out. See more »Quotes
Col. George Walker: You know anything about golf, Clark?Capt. Bartholomew Clark: No, sir. Golf wasn't big in my neighborhood.
See more »
Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Things Change/Bat*21/Without a Clue/Mystic Pizza/Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (1988) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.
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.