Broken Arrow (1996)

Directed by: John Woo | 108 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: John Travolta, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Delroy Lindo, Bob Gunton, Frank Whaley, Howie Long, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Jack Thompson, Vyto Ruginis, Ousaun Elam, Shaun Toub, Casey Biggs, Jeffrey Stephan

Sometimes you just feel like watching a movie like ‘Broken Arrow’. Team USA loses an atomic bomb. Devilish mastermind Vic ‘Deak’ Deakins (John Travolta) plans to use the bomb to blackmail the United States. A foolproof plan. But there’s also the good Riley Hale (Christian Slater), Deak’s former fellow pilot and sparring partner, who tries to stop him from doing so. Would Hale be able to stop Deak? His chances seem slim, because Deak works systematically and accurately. But with the help of his muscles, perseverance and the beautiful Ranger Terry Carmichael (Samantha Mathis) he happens to bump into during the crisis, he might be able to stop his Nemesis after all. It might say here, because of course there shouldn’t be any spoilers in this review.

‘Broken Arrow’ is really one of those movies where everything happens exactly as you expect. An broken arrow is by the way a ‘class four strategic theater emergency’, the code name for when the US military loses a nuke. Best quote from the movie: “I don’t know what’s scarier. Losing the nuclear weapons or that is happens so often that there is actually a name for it.” A nice wink from the makers that the viewer can expect all Hollywood clichés with this film.

In the predictable action movie genre, you have good and bad movies. This is not a very good movie. There’s enough inflated… that’s not the point. But the mediocre acting makes it all just a bit too unbelievable. Travolta in particular has a difficult role. He played a villainous genius against madness, but here he is mainly mad and not a genius. Why do people follow a guy like that?, you ask. In addition, Hale always manages to put a stick between the wheels of Deak’s plans with playful ease. The entire US military bites the dust, if not ‘one man army’ Hale. Not very believable. But the funny thing is that you take it from Bruce Willis in ‘Die Hard’, while you have to laugh about it in this film.

Apart from the acting, you can enjoy yourself as a viewer with a film like ‘Broken Arrow’. There are a few gems of scenes in it. The opening scene is one such example. Deak and Hale (then colleagues and friends) box together in the ring. Deak shows Hale all corners of the ring and Hale appears to have a Rocky-like resilience. At the same time, Deak talks to Hale with all kinds of battle and life lessons. That’s beautiful.

We’ve had this ‘Broken Arrow’. May many more follow!