Few actors have the star power of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger has starred in some of the best action films ever made, regularly leaving his mark on genre classics. Commando is the best example of an enjoyable mid-range action movie.
Schwarzenegger became known throughout the world as a bodybuilder in the late 60s and early 70s. He achieved worldwide recognition as an actor in 1982, when he played the main role in the film “Conan the Barbarian.” Just two years later, he would play the eponymous Terminator in the play that would define his career. A year later, he starred in the film Commando, summarizing his cinematic legacy.
What Is Commando About?
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays retired US Army Special Forces Colonel John Matrix. Colonel Matrix has settled down after many years of war. He created a peaceful life with his young daughter Jenny. They live in a beautiful estate in the mountains. Matrix spends her time chopping wood and teaching her daughter to be one with nature. Matrix’s idyllic retirement is interrupted when his former commander arrives with a dire warning. A gang of unknown mercenaries destroyed all members of the Matrix squad. Moments later, the mercenaries come for the Matrix. Matrix discovers that the mercenaries are led by one of his former allies, Bennett. Bennett and his allies lay siege to the Matrix’s home and kidnap young Jenny.RELATED:
Commando Screenwriter Blames Stallone For Ending Change
Although Matrix is ready to deal with the intruders, he is quickly incapacitated and taken hostage. The Matrix reveals that the mercenaries are in the pay of President Arius, the South American dictator he helped remove from power. Arius needs the Matrix to kill a political rival, and his daughter’s life is on the line. John Matrix knows that Arius will not hesitate to kill his daughter whether he completes his job or not, so he quickly escapes his handler and sets out on a quest for revenge. Matrix enlists the help of a young flight attendant and fights his way through the powerful force opposing him. He’ll have to become a one-man army to defeat Arius’ mercenaries, but they don’t call him Commando for nothing.
What Makes Commando So Good?
The entry for “action” in any self-respecting dictionary should consist of a full 90-minute presentation of the feature film “Commando.” Not because it’s the best action movie ever made. Schwarzenegger himself has starred in many excellent action films. Commando is the perfect genre codifier. It’s as rote and by-the-numbers as an action film can be without being a parody. However, while each scene is predictable, they are all near-perfect versions of what they are trying to achieve. There is almost nothing superfluous in Commando.
Schwarzenegger portrays the ideal hero, ready for action. The villain came straight out of an episode of GI Joe. A physical menace, Vernon Wells as Bennett is the perfect foil for Schwarzenegger. He is everything Jessie “The Body” Ventura was in Predator. It’s a shame they didn’t work together more often. Commando is the platonic ideal of an action movie. Every gunfight, fist fight, set piece and impeccable one-liner is a well-timed firework that works in concert to create a beautiful spectacle.
How Does Commando End?
Matrix and flight attendant Cindy track down Arius’ mercenaries one by one to determine his location. First they find “funny guy” Sally and give them a key to a hotel room. They find a former Green Beret at the hotel and discover Arius’ warehouse, allowing them to track down his island fortress. Matrix and Cindy break into an army warehouse and leave with enough weapons to overthrow the local government. They prove their point by blowing up a police car and hijacking a plane. On Arius’s island, the Matrix begins its final rampage, killing all of Arius’ people and ultimately executing the former dictator. Matrix prepares to escape with Jenny and Cindy, but Bennett stops him.
Matrix appeals to Bennett’s bloodthirstiness, begging him to fight him one-on-one with their knives. Bennett is defeated, allowing Matrix to impale him with a metal pipe. Matrix leaves the island and returns to her humble life, rejecting her commander’s offer to return to her old unit.
Commando is not a film that requires discussion. There’s not much to say during or after watching it other than, “That was amazing.” It’s simple, pure, and the perfect embodiment of everything that made 80s action movies so fun. Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves the praise he received for Total Recall or The Terminator, but he should really get more credit for being the perfect star of the perfect action movie.