Commando (1985)
Commando is a 1985 American action film directed by Mark L. Lester and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke and Dan Hedaya. The film was released in the United States on October 4, 1985. The film was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects but lost to Back to the Future. The film’s score was provided by James Horner. A commercial success, Commando was the 7th-highest-grossing R-rated film of 1985 worldwide, and the 25th-highest-grossing overall. Commando was a box office success grossing over $57.5 million against a $9 million budget. The film debuted at number one on the weekend of October 4–6, 1985 in the United States and spent three consecutive weeks at the top position
Plot.
Retired United States Army Special Forces Colonel John Matrix is informed by his former superior Major General Franklin Kirby that all the other members of his former unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries. The mercenaries, among them Bennett, an ex-member of Matrix’s team discharged for excessive violence, attack Matrix’s secluded mountain home and kidnap his young daughter, Jenny. While trying to intercept them, Matrix is overpowered and abducted by the mercenaries. He is taken before their commander, Arius, a former South American dictator Matrix removed from power. Arius blackmails Matrix into carrying out a political assassination in his home country of Val Verde, where he wishes to lead a military coup. With Jenny’s life on the line, Matrix seemingly agrees to fulfill the demand.
After boarding a plane, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 operated by Western Airlines from Los Angeles International Airport to Val Verde, Matrix manages to kill his guard and jumps from the plane just as it is taking off. With approximately 11 hours before the plane is scheduled to land, he sets out after another of Arius’ men, Sully. He enlists the aid of an off-duty flight attendant, Cindy, and instructs her to follow Sully to a shopping mall. Cindy first assumes that Matrix is a madman, but after she sees Sully pull a gun on Matrix in the ensuing fight, she decides to assist him in his endeavor. After a lengthy car chase, Matrix catches up with Sully
and drops him off a cliff to his death. Taking a motel key from Sully’s jacket, Matrix tracks down and confronts Cooke, a former Green Beret in Arius’ employ. He impales Cooke on a table leg after a lengthy fight. Matrix tells Cindy that Arius was going to kill Jenny, regardless of whether or not he did the job. Afterwards, Matrix and Cindy break into a warehouse owned by Arius which supplies weapons for his army. Matrix learns where Jenny is being held after looking at a map of the island where Arius’ villa is located.
Casting, Filming.
Vernon Wells was the first choice to be cast as Captain Bennett, mostly because of his role in Mad Max 2 (1981). Mark L. Lester stated that Wells was “the only one that could have played against him [Schwarzenegger]”. He further added Bennett was “in love with Matrix but he hated him, too. He wanted to kill him but he was in love with him. Principal photography began on April 22, 1985, and wrapped on June 6, 1985 after 45 days of filming. The film was shot on location in California. San Nicolas Island off the coast of Santa Barbara, to which Matrix flies to rescue his daughter, was filmed on the Pacific coast at San Simeon.
The barracks that are “attacked” are actually beach properties belonging to the Hearst Castle Estate. The house that Matrix storms at the film’s climax was actually the former main residence of the Harold Lloyd Estate in the Benedict Canyon district of Beverly Hills. The car chase scene between Sully and Matrix starts on Ventura Blvd and moves into the hills on Benedict Canyon. The Sherman Oaks Galleria, in Sherman Oaks, California, served as the film’s shopping mall location, and was used for six days after 9pm, after stores closed. This film was originally set to cost $8 million, but ended up costing $9 million once filming ended.
Cast:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Colonel John Matrix
- Rae Dawn Chong as Cindy
- Alyssa Milano as Jenny Matrix
- Dan Hedaya as President Arius
- Vernon Wells as Captain Bennett
- James Olson as Major General Franklin Kirby
- David Patrick Kelly as “Sully”
- Bill Duke as Cooke
- Drew Snyder as Lawson
- Michael Delano as Forrestal
- Charles Meshack as Henriques
- Carlos Cervantes as Diaz
- Chelsea Field as Brunette Stewardess
- Bill Paxton as Intercept Officer
- Ava Cadell as Girl in Bed at Motel
