Commando (1985)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Mark L. Lester

Writers:

Jeph Loeb (story) &
Matthew Weisman (story) ...

Release Date:

4 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Somewhere... somehow... someone's going to pay!

Plot:

A retired elite commando has only a few hours to find and rescue his daughter from an exiled dictator.

Plot Keywords:

Airplane | General | Rescue | Commando | Revenge

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 4	6:00 PM	AMC
Sun. July 5	1:30 AM	AMC

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 Cervantes	...	Diaz (as Carlos Cervantes)
Lenny Juliano	...	Soldier

Also Known As:

Comando (Portugal) [pt]
Comando Para Matar (Brazil) [pt]
Commando (France) [fr]
Commando (Finland) [fi]
Commando (Spain) [es]
Das Phantom Kommando (West Germany) [de]
Komando (Greece) [el]
Komando (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Komando (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Komandos (Serbia) [sr]

Runtime:

90 min | 92 min (director's cut) | Sweden:75 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) | Germany:18 (re-release) (2001) (JK/SPIO) (uncut) | Italy:T (re-rating) | Italy:VM14 (orginal rating) | USA:R (certificate #27763) | Finland:K-15 (TV rating) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1992) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1985) | Australia:MA (Definitive Edition DVD) | France:-12 | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) (cut) | Sweden:15 (video rating) | Sweden:(Banned) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | Ireland:18 (cut UK version) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Singapore:M18 | UK:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1987) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1985-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

SLM Production Group

Trivia:

Following his success in the Conan movies and The Terminator (1984), producers realized that Arnold Schwarzenegger was becoming a household name. This was the first film in which he got true "top" billing: the name Schwarzenegger was placed at the top of the poster, above the title of the film. Almost every film he has starred in since has done the same.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Matrix and Cindy approach the island with the airplane, Cindy moves the throttle forwards, the next shot viewed from outside the plane inside the cockpit Cindy moves the throttle backwards.

Quotes:

[Cindy uses a rocket launcher]
Matrix: Where did you learn how to do that?
Cindy: I read the instructions.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator' (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

WE FIGHT FOR LOVE

Noisy, violent, stupid and lots of fun

Ridiculous but fun film with Arnold Schwarzenegger as a retired special agent being pulled back into action when his daughter (well played by Alyssa Milano) is kidnapped. To get her back he has to kill someone else.

An 80s action film all the way. It's full of noisy battles, tons of gun play, loads of fistfights and a grand total of EIGHTY-ONE bloody on-screen deaths! The film works so well because it has a good, strong sense of humor and never takes itself seriously. It makes all the blood and gore seem cartoonish. The plot barrels also full speed and it's very short (88 min). Also Rae Dawn Chong (whatever happened to...?) is very good in a supporting role. My only complaint is that the final battle between Arnie and psycho Vernon Wells (badly overacting) is way too violent--even for this film. Otherwise, well worth seeing--lots of fun if you don't mind mindless, violent films (like me). Gotta love any film where Chong learns to use a rocket launcher in a few seconds by reading the directions!