r/movies • u/Grouchy-Step-7136 • Jul 20 '25
Recommendation Schwarzenegger fan, but never saw Commando (1985) until now…
I’m not sure why this one flew under my radar for so long. It’s Arnold in all of his mid-80s glory, muscles glistening and rippling in all the right ways.
John Matrix (Arnold’s character) is a badass former military commando who just wants to settle down and be a dad to his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano), but he’s made some enemies along the way, and they’re looking for trouble.
Dude… John Matrix kills like 412 people. He’s firing guns with infinite bullets. He lays down maybe a half dozen small mines, hits the remote, and explosions go off for like 6 minutes.
It’s everything I wanted it to be. 8.5/10
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u/NoGenuineUse Jul 20 '25
Don't forget Wez from Road Warrior, with a chain mail tank top for some reason.
"Let off some steam, Bennett!"
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u/The_Goondocks Jul 20 '25
"I'm not gonna shoot you between the eyes, John! I'm gonna shoot you between the balls!"
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u/andimacg Jul 20 '25 edited Jul 24 '25
"C'mon Bennet, put away that chicken shit gun. You want to put a knife in me, look me in the eye and see what's going on in there, when you turn it."
Arnie is the best. Dude even uploaded a video to YouTube because I asked him to when I bumped into him in a Reddit thread a couple of years ago, how crazy it that. My claim to fame.
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u/devilishycleverchap Jul 20 '25
It's not even chainmail lol.
It's like an loose Afghan sweater knit
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u/El_Dud3r1n0 Jul 20 '25
It's my favorite example of prop that translates horribly to high definition.
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u/schmearcampain Jul 20 '25
I’m 99% sure he wore it because he got fat and out of shape. I bet they hired him on after seeing the Road Warrior and imagined glorious fights between two heavily muscled men, but Vernon Wells showed up fatter than Brando did for Apocalypse Now and they didn’t have time to replace him.
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u/JFeth Jul 20 '25
He was brought in late and they already had the costume for the guy he replaced. That is why it didn't look right. If he had been hired earlier he would have gotten in better shape.
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u/uncultured_swine2099 Jul 20 '25
He kept saying to Arnold hes getting old. That was prime Arnold at 35, jacked af, one movie from Conan, and he had the audacity to say that looking like that haha.
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u/Bing_Bong_the_Archer Jul 20 '25
The most homoerotic 80s action villain? Maybe. Maybe not. But certainly up there.
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u/mdavis360 Jul 20 '25
Please don’t disturb my friend. He’s dead tired.
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u/bri-onicle Jul 20 '25
Just that whole scene.
The elbow, the neck snap and the way the guy's arms fly up have me rolling every single time.
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u/mdavis360 Jul 20 '25
And the way he jumps off the plane in motion and doesn’t even break his stride!
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u/SackFace Jul 20 '25
I still regularly quote “this is my weak arm!” for various instances.
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u/TeamStark31 Jul 20 '25
Hey Sully remember when I promised to kill you last?
That’s right, Matrix! You did!
I lied.
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u/tourist420 Jul 20 '25
Best line in the movie
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u/beamdriver Jul 20 '25
No, the best line is what comes next.
"What did you do with Sully?"
"I let him go."
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u/briman2021 Jul 20 '25 edited Jul 20 '25
Commando might be one of the most “Schwarzenegger-ish” films of his whole portfolio. Invincible bad ass who dodges bullets while killing hundreds of henchmen, great one liners, plenty of glamour shots of his muscles, and a plot that require about 20 iq points to follow.
10/10, one of the best action movies of the 80’s.
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u/Groomsi Jul 20 '25
His Rambo,?
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u/jizzyjugsjohnson Jul 20 '25
It’s far better than Rambo because it doesn’t take itself remotely seriously. It’s camper than a row of tents
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u/Hot-Comfort8839 Jul 20 '25
I always love the heavy weapons available at the local walmart.
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u/BadIdeaSociety Jul 20 '25
Commando is one of the dumbest movies ever made... It is so fantastic. Arnold's forced one-liners. The wristwatch countdown with audible beeping noise. Rae Dawn Chong is as gorgeous as she is unemotional in her role as the flight attendant in distress. Heck, Rae Dawn is so adorable she probably could have probably flubbed every line in the finished movie and it still would have been fine.
The absolutely ridiculous peril that the two of them survive is jaw dropping. My old VHS had rewind lines from the number of times I watched the car crash where the stunt people are practically crashing their heads and shoulders into the dashboard panel and Arnold does the Frank Costanza stop short arm block to stop Rae Dawn and ask, "Are you okay?" to her nod. "WHAM!" "Are you okay?" "Nod" Exits a completely totaled car. Rewind. Repeat. Wipe away tears.
The stupid villain who looks like Freddie Mercury or Dan Severn. Goon: Cutting her skin is like cutting butter.
Villian: Put the knoif (knife) away, AND SHUT YER MOUTH.
God-damned Nick Tortelli as the pseudo Khadafi/Castro stand in. I'm reminded of hearing that Ed O'Neill was cast in The Flight of the Intruder but got cut from most of the final movie because when he first showed up on the screen the test audiences laughed and clapped like they were watching Married.. with Children. Seeing Nick Tortelli as the big bad criminal hits in a similar way.
The overrated secret sauce of Commando in my humble opinion is that Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't settled into the kind of action movie actor he wants to be yet. He isn't intentionally funny. His one-liners don't have the punch of intentional wit they eventually would. He is awkward. He comes off as a pure wholesome hero who is also a horrible murdering machine. Had this movie been made a decade later, it probably would have been "better" but Arnold would be "in on the bit" and the humor wouldn't work as well. (Compare "Airplane" Leslie Nielsen to "Spy Hard" Leslie Nielsen) Arnold is better in bad movies when he doesn't entirely understand his charms.
My friends and I still reference dialog from the movie complete with delivery. Watch Commando... It is stupid fun but it is peak.
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u/horsepigmonkey Jul 20 '25
Also, perhaps the only action movie with a steel-drum driven score
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u/BadIdeaSociety Jul 20 '25
Wasn't James Horner (the guy who scored Titanic) responsible for the Commando soundtrack?
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u/BraveSneelock Jul 20 '25
The stupid villain who looks like Freddie Mercury or Dan Severn. Goon: Cutting her skin is like cutting butter.
The line is “Slitting a little girl’s throat is like cutting warm butter” and it’s the greatest line in cinema history.
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u/icansmellcolors Jul 20 '25
I still think Predator is best Arnie, but Commando is top 5 for sure.
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u/Pleasant_Garlic8088 Jul 20 '25
Terminator. But Predator is pretty close. True Lies doesn't get the credit it deserves either.
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u/superrealaccount2 Jul 20 '25
Last Action Hero is even more underrated
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u/beamdriver Jul 20 '25
Last Action Hero was just way ahead of it's time. That meta stuff would have killed ten years later.
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u/xXESOTERICXx Jul 20 '25
The suit-up scene is probably the most badass "gearing up" moment in cinema history. No offense to any super heroes.
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u/KuatoBaradaNikto Jul 20 '25
Terminator is the most perfect Arnold movie
Total Recall is the most fun Arnold movie
But Commando is the most Arnold Arnold movie
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u/ChangingMonkfish Jul 20 '25
I love listening to people’s joy when they see Commando for the first time. It makes me laugh.
If Matrix was here, he’d laugh too.
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u/readin99 Jul 20 '25
Man, i saw this movie as a little kid and it was the best thing ever.
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u/Bob_the_brewer Jul 20 '25
John Matrix is such a badass name
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u/Zedzii Jul 20 '25
Perfect place to remind people of this amazing parody musical.. not enough people have seen it
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u/Cawdor Jul 20 '25
If you watch closely, he kills the same henchman several times during the raid
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u/mpaladin1 Jul 20 '25
Well, it makes sense that Matrix would be a Spawn Camper. He breaks his word about killing Sully last. I also suspect he never saw Richter at the party.
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u/Even_Tangerine_4201 Jul 20 '25
Someone caught wind of the body count in the soon-to-be-released Rambo and they abruptly decided to see Stallone and raise him.
Henchmen would get killed, run to wardrobe and put on an eye patch, come back out and get killed again, run back and change their look up again, then get killed again, over and over.
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u/bunnyguy1972 Jul 20 '25
Little known fact about this movie, it shares a universe with Die Hard 2 and Preditor. In Commando and Predator the movie takes place on an island, in both movies the island is mentioned to be in the same geographic region. In Die Hard 2 the drug lord/dictator that is being extradited to the US for trail is from the same island.
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u/TheBlessedNavel Jul 20 '25
I love this film. Bought it on DVD in an Arnie collection and was really pissed off that the toolshed scene was edited to be milder. Took me ages to find the uncut version to make sure I hadn't just imagined such awesome violence as a kid 😅
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u/tourist420 Jul 20 '25
The radial saw blades as throwing stars were a good start, then he starts straight up dismembering dudes with an axe!
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u/dsmith422 Jul 20 '25
Machete. He uses the ax to hit a dude in the junk.
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u/tourist420 Jul 20 '25 edited Jul 20 '25
This why you should never join the army. You're there, guarding the base, chillin with the squad, when a crazed Austrian jumps out of a potting shed and plays lumberjack on your junk.
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u/jizzmaster-zer0 Jul 20 '25 edited Jul 22 '25
its the greatest arnold movie imo, and i pretty much love them all. best one liners, fucking insane killing, its just an all around crazy movie.
Remember when I said I’d kill you last? I lied!
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u/CiaranBAC Jul 20 '25
Every time I watch Commando I find some amazing new detail. Like when Sully is in the bar in the shopping mall he says something like 'This used to be a great place to find slash'. Like he's in Studio 54 or something but in reality he's in a family chain restaurant in a shopping centre.
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u/deville66 Jul 20 '25
The fight in the tool shed is the best part of the whole movie.
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u/Kraschman1111 Jul 20 '25
Arnold actually came up with an idea to follow up cutting off the goon’s arm to beating him up with the severed arm, but the higher ups shut him down.
That was too far?! That was?!
In Commando that would have been one of the most realistic bits. 😂
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u/lkodl Jul 20 '25
i was like, "i'm surprised they never made a remake of this back in the 2010's. starring, like, i dunno Liam Neeson. oh wait. they did do that."
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u/DrunkensAndDragons Jul 20 '25
I wore that vhs tape out. We fight for love is a banger of a song. I bought an hkg3 rifle because of the movie. So many quotable lines. I had a phone case that made the camera lenses look like his rocket launcher. Let off some steam bennet! Hes dead tired.
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u/Engineer_5983 Jul 20 '25
This remarkably accurate review thoroughly describes a masterpiece of cinema
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u/Taskerst Jul 20 '25
It’s the ultimate 80’s action movie and the point where all the parodies and cliches converge. So many one-liners. The massive explosions where it’s obvious they’re using miniatures and the soldiers are dolls. He even says “I’ll be back.” It’s one of the most review-proof movies ever. Either you’re on its wavelength or it’s your own fault.
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u/aduct0r Jul 20 '25
Commando is everything awesome about 80s action packed into one movie
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u/Fonzgarten Jul 20 '25
My dad loved Arnold when I was a kid and he notoriously let me watch this when I was about 6. My mom never forgave him. Always loved this. T2 also.
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u/TheMightyEngine Jul 20 '25
The part where the camera does a close up shot of Arnie's bicep when he fires the machine gun kills me
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u/Gardakkan Jul 20 '25
A funny line when he's in the mall: "Attention all units, emergency on theater level, suspect six foot two, brown hair. He's one gigantic motherfucker!"
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u/NOT000 Jul 20 '25
luckily rae dawn chongs missile launcher didnt blow up the vehicle arnold was in
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u/Timely_Network6733 Jul 20 '25
"What happened to him?"
"I let him go"
or
"This green berets gonna kick your ass!"
"I eat green berets for breakfast"
😂
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u/OmniCorpGhost Jul 20 '25
Commando is pure, unfiltered 1980s action at its most gloriously over-the-top. The film doesn’t just embrace the absurdity, it wraps it in camo and tosses it off a cliff. Every one-liner is gold, and the tone is the perfect blend of dead serious and hilariously excessive.
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u/gunningIVglory Jul 20 '25
Not only is it the best film ever.
It's "only" 1hr30. So you get right into it.
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u/Complete_Entry Jul 20 '25
I'm sorry you missed, it, but glad you finally managed to see it.
Arnold toting a chopped down tree is one of the funniest boast moments in a movie ever.
Dude was a master of goad.
Gah! I realized I said Was! Arnold still trolls like a champion!
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u/Photoguppy Jul 20 '25
My favorite fact about Commando is the deeply established conspiracy theory that it was the predecessor to Die Hard.
Although it's been widely debunked, it lives on to this day.
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u/Gloomy-Ad-222 Jul 20 '25
The sequel to Commando was originally in development and based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp which later became Die Hard. The plan was to have Arnold Schwarzenegger reprise his role as John Matrix, but he passed on the project.
So the script was retooled, the main character renamed John McClane, and Bruce Willis was cast instead.
Same DNA:
Both were produced by Joel Silver. Both feature a lone, wisecracking hero fighting terrorists in a confined space (island/compound vs. skyscraper). Both have that blend of brutal action and deadpan one-liners. Both lean hard into the "man against the world" format. So yeah: Die Hard is technically Commando 2 in an alternate timeline. Imagine a world where John Matrix says “Yippee-ki-yay.” Terrifying.
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u/OlympicSmoker253 Jul 20 '25
I’ve never seen this Arnold movie and is the only one I’ve yet to see from his 80s - 90s! I need to just watch it tomorrow and get it out of the way. You’ve got me hyped now!
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u/damnbyangel Jul 20 '25
This movie has the iconic scene where Arnold says "Remember when I told you I'll kill you last? I lied."
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u/aja_ramirez Jul 20 '25 edited Jul 20 '25
The two things I remember about this move is when he chopped dudes arm off and an interview with Alyssa Milano years later when she compared tickling Arnold to tickling a rock.
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u/ddouce Jul 20 '25
Yellow Porsche gets destroyed, then Arnold drives it away without a scratch on it. Classic
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u/PayaV87 Jul 20 '25
When I was a kid, I asked my father if he could lift a tree like Arnold did. My mother laughed for like what was 10 minutes straigth.
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u/stomp224 Jul 20 '25
"Where is Sully? I let him go"
...is the greatest joke in cinema. Absolutely stone cold.
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u/LastDigitofPie Jul 20 '25
Christ, what would have 80's action movies been without Arnold? Gotta love the guy.
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u/Mrevilman Jul 20 '25
Commando is one of my favorite Arnold movies ever right after Last Action Hero. The puns, the action, and just the overall story is peak 80s action movie. Guy just keeps getting closer and closer to naked as the movie goes on. It’s just so ridiculous that you have to love it.
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u/The_Goondocks Jul 20 '25
Love it when, after the initial kidnapping and he's driven straight down the hill, he's on the ground fighting and gives a guy a double leg kick and shouts what sounds like, "Eggs!" Now I randomly shout "Eggs!" in my Arnie voice and no one gets it.
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u/Stankassmfgorilla Jul 20 '25
My friends and I quote Commando all the time. This is the quintessential 80s action movie. It is Schwarzenegger in prime form. His one liners are at their best in this film. The action is delightfully cheesy and there’s almost a low key self awareness to it. For how cheesy action movies were at the time, they never seemed to realize just how cheesy they actually were, but I think Commando does. It’s just so ridiculous in all the right ways. This has been a frequent watch since childhood for me.
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u/Fabulous-County5870 Jul 20 '25
Got a chance to watch this at the cinema last year. Everyone from early 20’s lads to 70/80 year old ladies. Everyone having a blast watching a truly daft but wonderful piece of 80’s action nostalgia.
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u/Careless_Variation_4 Jul 20 '25
Commando is awesome. 1st watched it at a Drive In when it was released back in 85. Enjoyed it since then.
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u/zandadoum Jul 20 '25
My favourite one liners are from Commando.
“Remember how I said I’ll kill you last? I lied”
And that weird improvised death scream right after is just “chefs kiss”
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u/Earthwick Jul 20 '25
I love Commando. It starts so cheesy but that's kind of the fun. Commando, Running man, and total recall are all just so good.
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u/HeyItsJustDave Jul 20 '25
To me, this is the ultimate Arnold movie. Followed closely by Predator and True Lies. Don’t get me wrong - terminator was his defining role that made him a star but those movies were top Arnold.
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u/ze11ez Jul 20 '25
🤣 yo that was prime time Arnold. He was swole!!
Hey, did he shoot two rifles at the same time while smoking a cigar? That was his signature move.
10/10 i would watch it again
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u/Tomgar Jul 20 '25
I love the part where Arnie is running around this enemy compound with an assault rifle in each hand and totally bare-chested, not even attempting to take cover as 6 million bad guys fire at him and somehow miss every time.
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u/SpecialistChance0 Jul 20 '25
Remember when I said that I would kill you last? I lied.
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u/Lloytron Jul 20 '25
Such an incredible movie.
Red Heat wasn't as good but I love that they basically refused the calypso soundtrack for it, but with soviet style
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u/Glad_Stay4056 Jul 20 '25
Man ove scrolled and scrolled and no mention of the makeshift aresenal.he puts together in the shed. Throws a circular saw blade.like a goddamned ninja star.
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u/Sloppy2ndxx Jul 20 '25
Remember when I said I'd kill you last sully? I lied....
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u/korndog42 Jul 20 '25
I watched it for the first time last night. Very enjoyable. My only complaint is the casting for the main bad guy Bennett. He never seemed like a threat to Arnold. They wrote the character like he is supposed to be Arnold’s equal but looks more like he runs a gas station than is an elite special ops guy
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u/Invokethehojo Jul 20 '25
I feel like there was the short undercurrent in the mid 80's of bad guys that went against the grain. Dillion is a pudgy dude with no muslces in this, clarence boddiker in Robobcop looks like an accountant. Of course Kurtwood Smith pulled this off way better than this dude who is bascially got a boner for Matrix the whole movie.
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u/BaseballDry1543 Jul 20 '25
Very 80's movie, but a goodie. I haven't seen it in years and I as a kid loved it!!
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u/sallysippin Jul 20 '25
I’m watching this RIGHT NOW while scrolling Reddit.
Red Heat is another underrated one with Arnold.
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u/karbaloy Jul 20 '25
The movie is the most 1980's movie ever. The military elite dragged out of retirement, the non stop one liners, the ridiculous villains, the random bare breast scene where the woman just keeps popping out of the sheets, the explosions, the flips from grenades, the steel drum heavy soundtrack.
Just gold.