Strategic Command (1997)

Just perfect...

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Dr. Rick Harding (Dudikoff) is a scientist working for the FBI's chemical weapons unit. He also must be the "One Gulf War Hero" of the movie's tagline. All Harding wants to do is get home to his wife Michelle (Wyss) and have a quiet life. But a terrorist organization led by the evil Carlos Gruber (Norton) breaks into the lab and steals "120 Gels of Bromax 365" which is, and I quote, "Potentially the most dangerous element...EVER CREATED." The small team of black-clad baddies then hijacks a plane heading from California to Washington D.C. On the plane is the Vice President of the United States, Charles Baker (Michael Cavanaugh) , his beautiful assistant Amie (Bok Yun Chon), the vain, cowardly news reporter Phil Hertzberg (Cranston), and of course, Michelle Harding! She was assigned to interview the VP when the terrorists struck.The terrorists demand the release of fellow bad guy Ashrat from prison, and 100 million dollars, or they will blow up the plane with the Bromax on it, which will, and I quote, "Kill every living organism in a 200 mile radius." Now Harding, working with his superior Rowan (Winfield), has to team up with some anti-terrorist agents that don't like him very much, including Rattner (Nick Corri) and Ernie (Marcus Aurelius) to execute "Operation Intercept".Will Harding and his team save the hostages? Will they get the Bromax out of the hands of the bad guys? What will happen to the plane? What writer came up with the name "Carlos Gruber?" Directed by Rick Jacobson of Ring of Fire (1991) (uncredited) and Night Hunter (1996) fame, and produced by Andrew Stevens which would explain the Desert Thunder (1999)/Stealth Fighter (1999) recycled plane footage (and the "assemble a team" theme), Strategic Command is even more of an obvious ripoff of then-current Hollywood films than usual. Most notably Executive Decision (1996), but also Air Force One (1997), Die Hard (1988), Passenger 57 (1992), The Rock (1996) and Broken Arrow (1996). It even recalls Counter Measures (1999), down to the silly vomiting people that are exposed to the Bromax. Supposedly it even has some music recycled from Counter Measures, and yet again Dudikoff is trapped in an enclosed space, be it sub, plane, or some sort of vehicle.Old buddies from the American Ninja (1985) days Norton and Dudikoff are back together again. Norton is sinister and not very TV's Andy Levy-like as the terrorist with the slicked-back black hair. Despite some vague talk of his being German, Norton's Australian accent is still proudly on display. Just naming him the confusing and silly "Carlos Gruber" doesn't make him German. Or Mexican for that matter. Plus in Die Hard, Alan Rickman is named Hans Gruber. Of all the German last names that exist, couldn't the writers find another one besides "Gruber"? A funny moment comes when he "disguises" himself as a cameraman to sneak on the plane with the Vice President. All he does is add a funny mustache and glasses, hold a fake camera and say "I'm new". Then he's holding a gun to the VP's head. It is interesting watching a terrorist/plane movie in this post-9/11 world.Also in the funny department, the evil, deadly substance is called Bromax. The characters all talk about it with dramatic, hushed tones. But every time they say it, it sounds like they are saying "Bromance". "That Bromance is going to kill everyone!" "We have to get the Bromance!", etc.Dudikoff is his usual cool self, and even has a pre-CSI dramatic sunglass removal line. Clearly the CSI people ripped off Strategic Command. Circle of life. Probably the most interesting casting involves Bryan Cranston as Hertzberg. He's dead last in the credits, but his role is fairly substantial. In any of his interviews, either for Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad or anything else, has anyone ever asked him about Strategic Command? Because they really should. We want Cranston's take.For a competent, if patently obvious knockoff DTV flick with a cast of familiar faces, check out Strategic Command, but your expectations should not be high.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

The only reason I stayed up late one night to watch this was because Gina Mari was in it. However after seeing the first few minutes of the film I was presently surprised. Micheal Dudikoff always makes a good action hero, and excelled himself this time around. Also Richard Norton was in "over the top" form as the leader of a gang of mercanaries which includes the beautiful Gina Mari. The plot involves Norton's gang taking control of a plane which has one of the Presidents Interns or something like that on board. I'm sure you can work the rest out for yourself, it's basically a copy of Executive Desicion. Anyway if you like action films this one is probably for you, I do and must say I enjoyed it very much. Thanks to all involved!!

I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I watched this turkey of a movie. Surely, if Hollywood handed out awards for blatant plagiarism, this load of horse manure would win hands down. Basically a total rip-off of `Executive Decision' with lashings of `Air Force One' and a pinch of `The Rock' slung in for good measure. How the makers of this dross got away without being sued for every penny they had beats me. Most of the other hacks on this page have outlined the finer plagiaristic details so I won't repeat them again here. But this film gives new meaning to the words `low budget'. The producers obviously had so little money that they couldn't even afford a few extras to serve as terrified passengers. And there were so many plot holes you could fly a real 747 straight through them. Like at the end where the Dudikoff character and the chief baddie are fighting it out. Bag of deadly toxin splits open. Baddies die horrible deaths, twitching and vomiting all over the place. Dudikoff has a syringe full of antidote and injects himself, Nicolas Cage-style. Okay I can just about buy that. But the other people on board - all goodies and a matter of metres away in the next cabin - conveniently remain completely unaffected. And just minutes before this, we were supposed to be buying into the line that a few broken bags of this stuff would wipe out the population of LA? I rest my case. Sexy female terrorist though!!!!

Granted, this movie isn't a cinematic masterpiece (then again, what movie since "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "The Postman" is?), but it's still a rollicking good time. I've been waiting to see this movie since it was made back in 1997, and I just recently did. I've been a fan of Michael Dudikoff for many years now, and this is my favorite film starring him. Who cares if it borrows from "Die Hard," "The Rock," "Air Force One" and "Executive Decision?" This movie rocks!! If you watch this movie knowing it's low-budget and expecting low-budget elements, you'll enjoy it. I know I did. My whole family did. In fact, I just spent $80 to buy an actual copy of it. I loved it that much. I watched in five times in five days. Though it doesn't rank in my Top Five favorite films of all time, it's certainly more enjoyable than most of the Hollywood films I've seen in the last two years. So sit down with a big bowl of popcorn, a big screen TV with a good stereo surround sound system (much like I did), and enjoy. You're in for a ride that won't quit!!