Movie Details
| Title: | Commando | |
| Director: | Mark L. Lester | |
| Year: | 1985 | |
| Genre: | Action | |
| Times Seen: | 2 | |
| Last Seen: | 01.28.08 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (1)
- Firestarter
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 01.28.08 | DVD | I got the "Director's Cut" of Commando for Christmas. I Don't really know how many times I saw this as a kid but it was A LOT. Probably more than I should have. So it was interesting to watch special features on the DVD like any other movie and see deleted scenes and whatnot for this thing which I basically have memorized. It's weird that the 3 deleted scenes were longer than the additional footage in the new cut (which basically has one extended scene with Arnie and the girl driving to the Sunspot motel to meet Cook where Arnie explains that he was off doing special ops instead of raising his daughter. it's about 90 seconds long and replaces the awesomeness of not mentioning the mother or the human aspects of having a daughter (other than as a motivating factor to kick some ass) with the awesomeness of yet another action movie cliche in a movie akready rife with them) but that's good because in my opinion the movie's damn near perfect as is. One issue I had is with writer Steven deSouza and director Mark Lester saying it was intentionally tongue-in-cheek and self aware. I have to disagree. They're trying to make themselves look smart here and they should just own up to making perhaps the best specimen of 80s indulgent excess action. Considering it was produced by Joel Silver and made in 1985... I mean sure the banter with the girl was obviously intentional humor, her commenting during the fight with Bill Duke and on all the car rides along the way and whatnot... but the action itself? Maybe it's because I first saw it as a innocent youth but I don't detect any sort of wink to the camera about the absurdity of the violence or any of it. I mean what's the more plausible scenario here. Joel Silver, Mark Lester, and Steve deSouza are all sitting around a table. what do you think they said: a) Hey it's 1985, the action genre is so played out. How about we make a movie that's like a joke on itself and the sophisticated public can get it and enjoy it as a statement on the current popular trend. b) Make the explosions bigger. pass the blow. I rest my case. |
| 09.03.07 | Friend's House | One of my favorite action movies growing up. I meant to just watch 20 minutes or so while we ate then get back to setting up computers but I ended up watching the whole thing. I love it so much. John Matrix and Bob Lee Swagger were separated at birth! Someone has to do a Commando/Shooter double feature soon. |
