Film Review: Commando
Author: Kevin L. Powers
Arnold Schwarzenegger did a lot of forgettable films in the ‘80s and this is one of them. It’s wafer thin plot of an ex-commando trying to save his daughter from old buddies who have turned on him has been used a million takes (and will continue to be until the end of time), but what sold this film was the name Schwarzenegger who was at the top of the box office charts.
There is nothing in this film that hasn’t been done better and more effective in any other Schwarzenegger film. The problem lays in the fact that screenplay writer Steven E de Souza knows all this going in and doesn’t try to improve on the formula. De Souza would go on to writing the majority of the popular ‘80s and ‘90s action films – THE RUNNING MAN, HUDSON HAWK, DIE HARD, JUDGE DREDD, 48 HRS, and STREETFIGHTER, to name a few.
Director Mark L. Lester is no better having brought nothing new to this film either. This film is just as forgettable as the rest of his ‘80s and ‘90s films – CLASS OF 1984, SHOWDAOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO, DOUBLE TAKE, and EXTREME JUSTICE, just to name a few.
The only saving grace for the film is that we get to watch Schwarzenegger blow a lot of things up, kill a few people, and harass Rae Dawn Chong throughout. It’s worth watching just to see Chong saving Schwarzenegger with a rocket launcher.
About the Author:
An independent filmmaker who writes screenplays and articles mostly in the entertainment fields.
