Following the critical and commercial success of “Speed,” screenwriter, Graham Yost worked on his next script titled, “Broken Arrow.” Story involves two Air Force Pilots who are tasked to fly two nuclear weapons on a stealth bomber as part of a training simulation. Suddenly, one of the pilots, Deakens betrays his best friend, Hale and goes rouge taking the nukes with him. To stop his former friend from nuking Denver, Colorado, Hale must do what he can to save the day.
Released in 1996, (same year Beavis and Butthead Do America came out) Broken Arrow received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office hit. I have one reason why I wanna review this ‘90s action movie. I’m going through a ton of movies from 1996. Once I rank some good and bad ones, I’ll do a Top 20 on the best and worst movies. Why? Personally, I think 1996’s the best year in cinema. Which ones should I review next? Please leave a comment and don’t forget to subscribe for more reviews.
It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. It’s not a really good action movie.
Bullseye & Missed Aspects
Bullseye: John Travolta & Christian Slater both did a good job for their respective performances.
Other Cast Members such as Samantha Mathis & Kurtwood Smith both did a solid job for their respective performances.
Fun Facts
- Raymond Cruz (Tuco from Breaking Bad) has an uncredited small role as an officer.
- Broken Arrow’s the only movie Roger Ebert persuaded Gene Siskel to changed his opinion by turning his thumb up to down on camera.
- This movie isn’t the only one that features a train scene during the climax. Does the first “Mission Impossible” movie ring any bells?”
- Frank Whaley (Brett from Pulp Fiction) appears in a supporting role.
- Howie Scream is used right after a henchmen falls to the ground. The equivalent of the Wilhelm Scream.
Action Sequences are pretty good.
Hans Zimmer (Dune, Gladiator, The Lion King) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Practical Effects were heavily involved to stage Set Pieces.
Cinematography’s shot in stable condition.
Missed: John Woo didn’t do a good job directing.
Graham Yost didn’t do a solid job writing the script. It’s a nonsensical plot lacking common sense.
Christian’s role as Hale is forgettable. He’s not as interesting as Will Smith’s character, Steve Hiller from “Independence Day.” In other words, the former lacks charisma.
Who the heck gets tricked by a henchmen using an electric razor that sounds like a plane falling down while on the phone?
Deakens has one major flaw. He talks to the hero instead of killing him. Acting like a pre-Daniel Craig James Bond villain who doesn’t annihilate him right from the get-go. Scott Evil from “Austin Powers” points out Dr. Evil’s stupidity on not shooting him with a gun.
There’s no legitimate reason why Deakens betrayed his best friend and went rouge. He’s a weak villain. Not a well-written antagonist like Ghostface from “Scream” or Tim Curry’s portrayal as Long John Silver in “Muppet Treasure Island.”
I didn’t care about the chemistry between Hale and park ranger, Terry Carmichael. Another big sin, not caring about main characters.
The nuke rocket that stuck Deakens in the gut looks nothing like Mr. Travolta. It’s a mannequin. Could’ve used a different angle.
Plot Hole: When the nuke rocket stuck Deakens like a crash test dummy, the gasoline barrels explode. How come it didn’t engulf the nuke in flames? Otherwise, Hale’s screwed. I have no choice, but to Triple Down this con. The nuke not blowing up made me feel stupid like has-been, Tom Arnold in “The Stupids.”
The Final Verdict: D-
Broken Arrow missed the target. It’s a misguided cluster fudge. I wanted to like this movie as a fun over-the-top action flick like “Face/Off.” Unfortunately, Broken Arrow didn’t stick the landing. If you wanna see an actual good John Woo movie, check out “The Killer” or “Hard Boiled.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 