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19 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :- Since Norris is on his motorcycle, the action is intense, sweaty, and fast.., 25 January 2004 Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
Few countries in the world have not suffered from terrorist violence over the past three decades... Domestic and international terrorism is now at the top of the agenda for most nations...Experts agree that there is almost always a strategy behind terrorist actions... Whether it takes the form of bombings, shootings, hijackings, or assassinations... Terrorism is neither random, spontaneous, nor blind; it is a deliberate use of violence against civilians for political or religious ends...Terrorist acts are often deliberately spectacular, designed to rattle and influence a wide audience, beyond the victims of the violence itself... The point is as Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at the Pentagon one day: "Terrorism must be vigorously opposed and soundly defeated wherever it exists." The Delta Force was secretly created in October 1977 by US Army colonel Charles Beckwith in direct response to numerous, well-publicized terrorist incidents that occurred in the 1970s. The number of terrorism attacks was at its highest in mid-1980s... Palestinians have long been associated with terrorism, including suicide bombings against Western targets and kidnappings in war-torn Lebanon during the 1980s...Menahem Golan's 'The Delta Force' is inspired by the 1985 hijacking of TWA, which featured the famous footage of the plane's pilot leaning out of the cockpit with a gun to his head... The film opens with two fanatic terrorists taking over an American airliner bound from Athens to Rome and New York, diverting it to Beirut... With no other option, the Pentagon decides to send the 'Delta Force' into the area for an emergency rescue operation...Colonel Alexander (Marvin) is given the go ahead, and his elite team - specialized in rapid infantry assault, night fighting and airfield seizure - led by Major McCoy (Norris) energetically meets the terrorists...Since Chuck Norris is on his motorcycle, the action is intense, sweaty, and fast...
13 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :- Norris' best Golan-Globus effort, 30 May 2004 Author: Wizard-8 from Victoria, BC
Lee Marvin was already very ill when he appeared in this movie, and his grave condition sometimes shows onscreen. Still, he's able to give it all that he's got like in his previous films, and it's nice seeing that he went down still a tough guy. The rest of the movie proves to be just as surprisingly enjoyable. It does go on too long (125 minutes!), and there is not as much action as you may be expecting. But the drama portion of the movie proves to be compelling, and the few action scenes there are turn out to be exceedingly well done. Certainly no masterpiece, but it is entertaining. Fans of Norris and/or Marvin, however, should be warned that the two of them don't appear in as much of the movie as they may be expecting.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- Breaks too many Hollywood rules to have a chance with most critics, 8 April 2005 Author: paul_pooty from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Many here have called the Delta Force silly jingoistic propaganda, naive, mindless, one-sided, etc. Showing American soldiers beating the bad guys and freeing the oppressed is frowned upon in artsy filmloving circles, and I can appreciate that point of view. So why do the same people who call the Delta Force stupid garbage jump for joy at Tom Hanks or Dustin Hoffman drooling and babbling in Forrest Gump/Rain Man (which prefers insulting the mentally handicapped rather than illuminating their plight)? Or cheer endlessly at Hilary Swank dully portraying tomboys? Clint Eastwood was sneered at by the AMPAS and Hollywood Left for his adventurous westerns until he gradually weaned himself towards antiwar themes and finally, feminist euthanasia (???!!!) Some surprise that Chuck Norris karateying PLO hijackers with the help of Israeli commandos and Lee Marvin wasn't warmly received by the media and academia. To sum up, the key rules of the Limousine Liberals that the Delta Force violates is: 1. Movies about terrorists are perfectly acceptable as long as they're not from the Middle East. So that leaves the no less evil but somewhat rarer Tim McVeigh and Neo Nazi Skinheads breed.2. If rule #1 is for any reason violated, at least communicate to viewers the legitimate grievances of the insurgents, rebels, guerillas, freedom fighters (never "terrorists"). See the episode of the West Wing immediately following 9/11--in which schoolchildren are told that the Arab street is basically a counterpart to American inner-city ghettos where teens are drawn to gangs because of the sense of pride and inclusion they provide amidst a place of poverty and racial injustice--for reference.3. It will be a wonderful day when schools have all the money they need and the military has to hold a bake sale to buy motorcycles with hellfire missiles and rearward-firing mortars.4. For every 2 minutes of martial arts action, at least 1/2 hour must be devoted to preaching nonviolence and respect for law and order. Or only 15 minutes if in the form of a Miyagi-style oriental wisdom scene. Norris finally got the message by Walker, Texas Ranger.Not that this film is totally without appealing elements to those who didn't vote for Bush/Cheney or Ariel Sharon. An especially blue-state friendly cast was prominent in several of the passenger sequences, which one IMDb reviewer amusingly described as an episode of the Love Boat gone terribly wrong. I myself was waiting for Gopher to pop out at any moment! My girlfriend and I have a deal where for every 80s macho movie she sits through, I have to watch 1 hour of Lifetime, 1 episode of Gilmore Girls, and her Friday night movie pick, usually something with Meryl Streep or Sally Field. I'm still deciding which is worse, that or being hijacked by Abdul and Mustafa!
8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :- A surprising espionage thriller, with dramatic moments..., 4 August 1999 Author: ary luiz dalazen jr. (ajr@fortalnet.com.br) from Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
A group of Arab extremists kidnap an American airline's airplane and threaten to kill everybody as a way to prove their hate for the other nations and shock the world.At the same time in that the negotiations become tense and marked by hostilities, a special army force is activated to rescue the passengers and kill the dangerous fanatic terrorists. Action film that counts with the cast's excellent interpretations, formed by famous movies stars such as Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Hanna Schygulla and others, with prominance for Lee Marvin. Directed as an espionage thriller, "Delta Forces" alternates dangerous and risky scenes with moments in which the suspense reaches high levels, reminding the Hitchcock's thrillers. Filmed in several locations of Middle East and counting with an extraordinary photograph that exalts the whole hot and claustrophobic climate of the story, "Delta Force" offers an excellent entertainment, even seeming racist and simpleton in some occasions, and it is the best motion picture of Chuck Norris's career. The most touching sequences, among so many others, are the violent fight of the specialist in martial arts' hero (Norris) with the terrorists' leader (interpreted by Robert Forster, from "Jackie Brown", in a good, but sometimes over acted, performance) and the Norris' attempt to go up in the airplane that is about to take off, at the same time in which he is pursued by the Arab army!! "Delta Force" is rated for violence and it runs 126 minutes. The cast:Lee Marvin, Chuck Norris, Robert Forster, Joey Bishop.
14 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :- good for the first half, cheesy for the second, 26 June 2003 Author: shakey_jake53 from Toronto, Ontario
THE DELTA FORCE is an odd movie. The first hour of the film is a well written and directed portrait of an airline highjacking. The music is tense and the performances are solid (especially Robert Forster as the head terrorist). Then, when Chuck and Lee show up, the film turns into a patriotic cheesefest where the delta force whips out the terrorists along to cheesy 80s patriotic pop music. The film definitely goes down from here. The director should've realized that the first half was tense and realistic and decided to keep it that way, even if they were going to have the delta force take out the terrorists. I really dont know why they changed the mood of the film so much, because if they had'nt, this could've been an excellent actioner. The second half is still somewhat enjoyable and very unintentionally funny, but those who think that the second half of the film would be as gripping as the first will be disappointed. 3/5
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Norris More Subdued With All-Star Cast, 21 February 2004 Author: CitizenCaine from Las Vegas, Nevada
Menahem Golan directs this terrorist thriller with an all-star cast that surely has seen better days: Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Lainie Kazan, George Kennedy, Susan Strasberg, Bo Svenson, Robert Vaughn, Shelley Winters, and a young Kim Delaney as a nun. A big surprise is finding the German actress Hanna Schygulla in this film, but she does have a pivotal role as the head stewardess. Chuck Norris is the man that gets the job done, opening up a can of W.A. for those nasty terrorists. Norris does a lot better when he's a part of a larger cast like this; because, his acting talent is not enough to carry a film by itself. The first half of the film is an exciting account of a terrorist hijacking aboard a plane, characters being introduced, and the illustration of the surrounding tension that would exist during such an encounter. Robert Forster effectively plays the menacing terrorist leader. The film deteriorates a bit in the second half when Norris, along with his commander Lee Marvin (in his very last film role), enter the scene. Marvin lends an aura of credibility to whatever role he plays and there's no exception here. He balances Norris' bravado nicely, limiting Norris' usual one man army routine to a few scenes. The action is good, but turns cartoon-like somewhat with Norris so that any tension the film establishes in the first half dissipates in the second half. The soundtrack is annoying with the repetitive synthesizer, typical of 1980's television. Still the film is consistently entertaining, and it is one of Chuck Norris' better films. **1/2 of 4 stars.
17 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :- terrorist butt-kicking at its best, 14 November 2001 Author: MichaelM24 from California
I used to watch THE DELTA FORCE all the time when I was a kid. Chuck Norris was my hero, the coolest guy in the world who could take on any threat single-handidly and come out out of the conflict without a drop of sweat. It isn't LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, but THE DELTA FORCE is a solid, well-made action film with a pretty standout cast of actors, with Robert Forster making a truely dispicable terrorist. The rapport between Norris and Lee Marvin, while not concentrated on that much, is good, and the action scenes deliver the kind of response people like to give when watching the good guys wipe out the bad guys with no mercy, the way it should be. It's all capped by an excellent climax in which Chuck unleashes revenge on Forster, which is both serious and funny at the same time because the guy never gets to lay a single blow on Chuck. (Maybe Osama Bin Laden will be meet a similar fate. :) ) Alan Silvestri's Synclavier score is fun, too, with a great main theme. It may not be a complete carbon copy of the 1985 TWA hijacking/standoff incident that inspired it, but it's incorporation of some of the real incidents from that event gives it some added realism. For anybody who wants to fantasize about scumbag terrorists getting what they deserve (especially after September 11th), THE DELTA FORCE is one for you.
8 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :- Exciting!, 25 June 2000 Author: jhaggardjr from Chicago, Illinois
"The Delta Force" is an exciting action picture starring Chuck Norris in one of his best movie roles. The film is about an American airliner en route from Athens to Rome to New York that's hijacked by Middle Eastern terrorists which is loosely based on the real-life hijacking of a TWA jetliner in July 1985. This part of the film is terrifying. These hijackers mean business, and they provide a lot of cruelty to some of the passengers and crew members. When the U.S. government gets word of the hijack, they sent in The Delta Force, a tough team of U.S. commandos led by Lee Marvin and Chuck Norris. Do they get the job done? You'll just have to see for yourself. "The Delta Force" is an excellent film because it delivers plenty of action, plenty of suspense, and plenty of realism. The movie also has an all-star cast. Besides Norris and Marvin, "The Delta Force" also features Robert Forster (a decade before winning an Oscar nomination for Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown") in a very good performance as the lead terrorist; Bo Svenson as the pilot of the hijacked airliner; Hanna Schygulla as the head stewardess of the plane; Robert Vaughn as a U.S. General who gives orders from the U.S. President to the Delta Force; and Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Lainie Kazan, Shelley Winters, George Kennedy, Susan Strasberg, and Kim Delaney (a decade before TV's "NYPD Blue") as terrified passengers on the hijacked plane. If your a fan of action movies, you're going to like "The Delta Force". ***1/2 (out of four)
20 out of 37 people found the following comment useful :- One of the best anti-terrorist films to date., 18 September 1999 Author: Brad L. Wooldridge (HulkSmash@windstream.net) from Barry, Texas USA
The Delta Force is a fast-paced, enthralling action film featuring a top-notch cast, great action sequences, and a poignant story line. Chuck Norris and the immortal Lee Marvin headline as members of the elite Delta Force commando unit who are called in to rescue a hijacked airliner heading back to the U.S. from Israel. Cameos by such Hollywood legends as former Rat Packer Joey Bishop and Twelve Angry Men's Martin Balsam abound, as well as a good performance by Robert Forster as our megalomaniacal and stalwart Palestinian madman, Abdul.Some, including a few on the IMDb, have labeled the villains stereotypical, but I would have to disagree. The terrorists' portrayals were right on target, and true to form. Palestinian terrorists obviously DO NOT like Israelis, or any Jewish people, for that matter. That's not stereotypical, that's the truth!To see The Delta Force's inspiration, check out Irvin Kershner's Raid on Entebbe from 1977. Based on a true account of the Israeli special forces rescue of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, you will see eerie similarities.Both films are highly recommended.
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :- An explosive 80's action movie., 20 January 2009 Author: RhoadsWylde5667 from New York
This is one of Chuck Norris' 3 best movies and legend Lee Marvin goes out with a bang in his final movie. The movie starts in an airport in 1985 where passengers are about to board a flight. The plane gets hijacked by terrorists. Certain passengers such as Jewish men and members of the U.S. military are kept prisoners in Beirut after the plane lands. On the flight several passengers are killed and there's a lot of suspense during this part.After the plane lands Major Scott McCoy(Norris) and Colonel Nick Alexander(Marvin) along with many other soldiers head to Beirut to rescue the prisoners. Of course you get plenty of ass-kicking fight scenes thanks to Norris who has never seemed tougher in a film. Marvin is also perfect in his role. The action gets even better when Norris rides out on his motorcycle shooting missiles out the front and back! Of course that's a bit silly, but awesome at the same time. The theme music is great as well and the patriotic ending caps off this great movie. The cast is very good as well including George Kennedy and Robert Vaughn. It's cool to see a lot of the older Hollywood stars. Lee Marvin and Chuck Norris also have great chemistry together on screen. Marvin and Norris were both among the most convincing tough guys in Hollywood.This is truly a classic and a movie that all 80's action fans must see. Norris and Marvin are truly legends. This ranks along with Missing In Action and The Code Of Silence as one Chuck's finest films.
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