In a sentenceArnold Schwarzenegger makes destruction look easier than conversation, which is fortunate for everyone except the scenery
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays John Matrix in an action adventure directed by Mark L. Lester. Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong) shares a romantic rapport with Matrix amid the violence, while the cast also includes Jenny Matrix (Alyssa Milano), Arius (Dan Hedaya) and Bennett (Vernon Wells). Sully (David Patrick Kelly), Cooke (Bill Duke) and Major General Franklin Kirby (James Olson) also appear. Steven E. de Souza writes the screenplay, combining destructive action with humour. The film runs 90 minutes and carries an 18 certificate.
Plays from YouTube when you press play; nothing loads from them until then.
Commando is cheerfully excessive action built around Arnold Schwarzenegger’s awkward, oddly endearing presence. Rae Dawn Chong supplies welcome spark, and the violence is entertaining enough to excuse some conspicuously thin writing.
Commando is an entertaining action film with a narrow set of interests and the good sense to be funny about them. Mark L. Lester puts his faith in Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose John Matrix makes excessive violence oddly companionable. The appeal is easy to understand: he looks equipped for destruction and rather less comfortable with conversation. The director does not need him to become a polished actor, although anyone unmoved by his physical presence has little reason to stay.
We laughed at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stiff delivery because it sits so awkwardly beside his confidence in the action. Then we warmed to his earnestness. He commits to this absurd material without seeming embarrassed by it, and that helps more than greater fluency might have done. There are moments when the speaking remains a strain, but the performance has enough goofy sincerity to keep the destruction from becoming merely tiresome.
Rae Dawn Chong’s Cindy gives him a lively partner rather than simply another person to dominate. Their lightly romantic interplay is a welcome interruption to the violence, and she makes conversation seem like something the film might profitably do more often. Her energy prevents his stiffness from setting the pace of their scenes. We would happily spend longer with them, which is a useful complaint to have about a film so dependent on destruction.
Matthew F. Leonetti’s cinematography is effective at the film’s chosen level of blunt excitement. The star’s physical presence matters more here than any beauty in the image, and the pictures serve that priority. John Vallone’s production design works on similarly practical terms: it suits the action without making the surroundings more interesting than the people. There is little invitation to linger, which is sensible given what the film wants us to enjoy.
The editing by Mark Goldblatt, Glenn Farr and John F. Link helps the film avoid getting bogged down in its absurdities. We can enjoy the momentum even when there is little reason to believe the story. James Horner’s score contributes welcome enthusiasm to the action, making the excess more pleasurable without lending it unwanted solemnity. The running time is manageable, too: Commando runs 90 minutes.
Steven E. de Souza’s screenplay is less reliable once the novelty of the hero begins to wear off. Humour helps, but the action has a habit of making the same point about his destructive capabilities again and again. It becomes repetitive, and the writing gives us too little to think about between the thrills. We do not need realism from this sort of adventure; a little more invention would have been welcome.
By the standards of an action film built around one imposing star, though, this does its job with agreeable directness. Rae Dawn Chong’s contribution keeps it from feeling entirely like a solo exhibition, and the humour makes the excess easier to take. Our recommendation comes with a simple condition: the action itself needs to be enough. Anyone hoping for restraint should make other arrangements.
With only 5 reviews in so far, most critics find Commando an entertaining, knowingly absurd action film, carried by Schwarzenegger’s larger-than-life appeal. Praise clusters around the explosive set pieces, the humour and Rae Dawn Chong’s spirited performance. Reservations concern Schwarzenegger’s awkward dialogue delivery and the repetitive violence, though neither produces an outright negative verdict. Collider is the most enthusiastic, treating his sincere, goofy performance as essential to the appeal. Den of Geek’s more moderate assessment needs qualification: its complaints chiefly concern the disc transfer and extras, while it praises the action and James Horner’s soundtrack.
The available description presents it as a none-too-serious, gung-ho adventure. It singles out Schwarzenegger’s shift from The Terminator to a larger-than-life action-figure persona.
Read the full review →The review finds the film palatable, crediting its humor and romantic interplay with making an absurd action plot entertaining. It especially praises Rae Dawn Chong’s lively performance and the quick, subtly romantic chemistry between her and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Read the full review →Ferguson finds Schwarzenegger an awkward speaker but a spectacularly destructive action hero. He also praises the engaging villain, Rae Dawn Chong’s spirited turn, and the explosive set pieces.
Read the full review →The critic calls Commando a one-note, excessively violent classic that depends on Schwarzenegger’s singular appeal. He especially praises Schwarzenegger’s sincere, goofy performance and the film’s electrifying final confrontation.
Read the full review →The reviewer finds the film entertaining and action-packed but says its Blu-ray release is a poor effort. He praises the explosive action and James Horner’s soundtrack, while faulting the transfer and lack of extras.
Read the full review →
Police Story · not reviewed yetPhysical comedy and dangerous action, with rather more agility than Matrix manages.
The Long Kiss Goodnight · not reviewed yetA similarly cheerful appetite for destruction, with sharper exchanges between the leads.
The Train · not reviewed yetFor physical action whose destructive force comes with much harder choices.
District 13 · not reviewed yetAction that substitutes speed and ingenious movement for Matrix’s sheer bulk.
The Man from Nowhere · not reviewed yetA more sombre choice, with violence that refuses to remain a joke.
Free account
Two lists that know where things are streaming, collections you can share, your own score beside ours, and Discover that remembers what you have seen.
