Day 72- Movie 56. Commando (1985)

I have seen many parts of Commando over the years, but I've never seen the entire film from beginning to end. This is one of those action movies that you have to be willing to suspend your disbelief if you're going to enjoy it. There are so many absurd, ridiculous moments throughout this film- and yet, none of that really mattered. This is a film that embraces those silly moments for the sake of entertainment, and I was more than willing to go along for the ride.

In recent years, there have been a number of successful films around a trained killer going to extreme lengths to save a younger female from death. Denzel Washington did it beautifully in the excellent Man on Fire, and Liam Neeson scored a hit doing the same thing in Taken. Arnold Schwarzenegger made that movie in the mid 80s, and it's every bit as entertaining. He is an ex-commando who reluctantly gets back to his killing ways after his daughter (Alyssa Milano) is kidnapped by a South American dictator. The plot is pretty ridiculous, and it's sole purpose is to set up a scenario where Schwarzenegger can just go on a bloody, deadly rampage.

And rampage he does- in this film, Schwarzenegger kills over 80 people. That's a stunningly high amount, considering the film is only 90 minutes. That is almost averaging one person killed a minute for the duration of the film. So many of these kills are absurd, but it doesn't matter. There is something so entertaining about watching a character go to extreme lengths to save someone close to him. Schwarzenegger was absolutely jacked in this film, and it's extremely entertaining watching him demolish the bad guys. He also has a number of his trademark one-liners. What more could you ask for?

Now, I am completely sympathetic to someone who hates this movie. I definitely understand it. At one point, Schwarzenegger leaps from the wheels of a flying airplane into a swamp, only to emerge unscathed. At another, he literally throws a massive pipe through someone's chest. At one point, he has to kill 30-35 people with barely a scratch taken himself. It's absurd, ridiculous, and far-fetched. I can see how people would scoff at this film and call it terrible.

And yet, for me, I really enjoyed it. I've always been a fan of Schwarzenegger movies. They are crazy, but they're at least entertaining. Sometimes you're just in the mood to watch destruction and mayhem, and this film is perfect for that. I would give this film a 7.5/10, which is probably more than it deserves, but I really like it regardless.

On another note, I'm not even going to mention how far behind pace I am. I'm screwed at this point, but I'll talk more about it by the end of the weekend. I'm going to try to make some serious progress, and reevaluate where I am Sunday night.