Plot
A retired elite Black Ops Commando launches a one man war against a group of South American criminals who have kidnapped his daughter to blackmail him into starting a revolution and getting an exiled dictator back into power.
Release Year: 1985
Rating: 6.4/10 (52,890 voted)
Director:
Mark L. Lester
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya
Storyline 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.
Writers: Jeph Loeb, Matthew Weisman
Cast: 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
(as Michael DeLano)
Bob Minor
-
Jackson
Michael Adams
-
Harris
(as Mike Adams)
Gary Carlos Cervantes
-
Diaz
(as Carlos Cervantes)
Lenny Juliano
-
Soldier
Taglines:
If there's a mission that no man could survive...then *he's* the man for the job.
Release Date: 4 October 1985
Filming Locations: 11301 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $10,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $7,700,015
(USA)
(6 October 1985)
(1495 Screens)
Trivia:
The introduction to Matrix as he comes out of the forest, with close ups on his boots, chest, biceps etc was shot and edited in a similar fashion as Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda movies. According to director Mark L. Lester this was done to represent the notion of the invincible man of the earth emerging from the forest.
Goofs:
Continuity:
Right after Matrix and Henriques take their seats on the plane, the orange curtain behind Matrix switches from closed to open between shots. Shortly after that, as the fly hostess closes the curtain, she repeats the same movement twice.
Quotes: Gen. Kirby:
Me and your dad have to talk for a minute Jenny:
Yeah Got a warrant? Gen. Kirby:
[sarcastically]
Very funny!
User Review
One of my all-time favorite movies
Rating: 10/10
This is by far one of the greatest movies of the century. I can't
believe what an awesome movie it is. It has no morals, no lessons to
teach, no political statements, no coherence, and no sense whatsoever.
When Schwarzeneggar's beloved daughter is kidnapped by a psychotic
dictator, he doesn't try to reason with the bad guys or take
precautions like most action heroes would. He just goes bonkers and
starts killing everyone in sight. The movie is packed with fantastic
scenes such as Arnie crashing a car at about 80 mph, without a
seatbelt, and being perfectly fine, Arnie tearing a phone booth out of
a wall, Arnie punching a guy through a wall, etc. It's gloriously
entertaining.
Also, despite his reputation for bad acting, he delivers all his lines
with perfect comic timing ("Let off some steam, Bennett"). Bennett is
also a great character, but no match for Arnold. You'd have to be
completely devoid of personality to not find this at least slightly
entertaining.
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