The 3 Guys Podcast Recorded on 9/23/2022 If there's a mission that no man could survive...then he's the man for the job. In this podcast we wrap up our search for the Greatest Classic 80s Action flick with our review of the movie “Commando” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells and directed by Mark L. Lester. WARNING: There will be SPOILERS!
The 3 Guys Rating 3.6/5
Notes From The Show * Quick Synopsis * Released: October 4, 1985
Directed By: Mark L. Lester
Screen Play By: Steven E. de Souza
Story By: Joseph Loeb III, Matthew Weisman & Steven E. de Souza
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells and a bunch of other actors.
Plot: A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
Taglines: If there’s a mission that no man could survive…then he’s the man for the job.
How did this movie do:Budget: $9 MillionBox Office: $58 Million * Action Cuts * + Body count: Body count: 109 (102 killed by Arnold Schwarzenegger). + Top One-Liners - John Matrix: You’re a funny guy Sully, I like you. That’s why I’m going to kill you last. - Sully: I’ll say it a little louder, get fucked! - John Matrix: I eat Green Berets for breakfast. And right now, I’m very hungry! - John Matrix: Let off some steam, Bennett. - John Matrix: Don’t disturb my friend, he’s dead tired. - John Matrix: I’ll be back, Bennett! * 80's Checklist * 1. A “Muy Macho” Hero with quotable one-liners played by a recognizable star – Schwarzenegger (Matrix) 2. Over the Top Villain – Bennett 3. A Montage Sequence – Yes 4. Over the Top Chase Scenes – Yes 5. Epic Fight Scenes – Yes 6. A Villain Speech/Monologue – Yes 7. A Final Showdown – Yes 8. An “Oh Crap” Death for our Bad Guy – So Many “OH CRAP” deaths 9. Franchise Potential – Had potential but never happened 10. Around a 90 minute runtime – 90 11. A High Body Count – 109 (102 killed by Arnold) * Casting * + Vernon Wells was the first choice to be cast as Captain Bennett, mostly because of his role in Mad Max 2 (1981). Mark L. Lester stated that Wells was “the only one that could have played against him [Schwarzenegger]”. He further added Bennett was “in love with Matrix but he hated him, too. He wanted to kill him but he was in love with him + Rae Dawn Chong nailed her audition and was given this role on the spot. She took it, saying, “I knew Arnold would make the film a hit, and I wanted to be part of that.” + Vernon Wells wasn’t the original actor cast to play Bennett. He did audition for the role and lost to Wings Hauser. On the first day of filming, however, director Mark L. Lester fired Hauser and hired Wells. This is the reason that Bennett’s clothes seem so tight, because Wells was bigger than Hauser, and the production didn’t have time to make a new costume. + It was rumored Vernon Wells got the part of Bennett because of his performance as Wez in The Road Warrior (1981). * Trivia * + According to Alyssa Milano, Arnold Schwarzenegger was very protective of her on set. “He even helped with my algebra homework.” + Vernon Wells described his look as “Freddie Mercury on steroids”. + The shopping mall (Sherman Oaks Galleria) used is the same one that was used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), also starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since both films wrapped, the mall has been remodeled. + Rae Dawn Chong’s reactions to the motel fight were filmed separately and were completely ad-libbed. + Arnold Schwarzenegger & Rae Dawn Chong shot a love scene, but it was deemed unconvincing and was dropped from the movie. + Arnold Schwarzenegger performed many of his own stunts, as producers found it difficult to find a stunt double for the bodybuilder. The actor suffered a dislocated shoulder and several stitches during the shoot. + The mansion used in the final shootout between Matrix and Arius (the former Harold Lloyd estate in Beverly Hills) is the same mansion seen in the final shootout between Axel Foley and Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop (1984). Coincidentally, both Matrix and Foley were trying to rescue somebody named Jenny in that mansion in their respective films. + John McTiernan was offered the chance to direct this film, and turned it down. Later, while editing Nomads (1986), his feature debut, he was offered the chance to direct Arnold Schwarzenegger’s second film for 20th Century Fox, Predator (1987), which he accepted. He also directed Arnie in Last Action Hero (1993). + After filming one scene, Arnold Schwarzenegger told Mark L. Lester to never give Vernon Wells a real knife. + The shot of Matrix standing on the landing gear of the plane as it races down the runway was shot by constructing the wheel section of a plane and attaching it by hydraulics to the side of a camera truck. + This film came out the same year as the similarly-themed Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), starring Sylvester Stallone. Both films performed well at the box office, although Stallone’s film was a much bigger hit and cultural/global phenomenon. The fact that Stallone and Schwarzenegger had competing films out in the same year fueled the “Stallone vs. Schwarzenegger” rivalry that went on for years, both with each other and in the media. + The cut on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s forehead in the beginning of the movie was real. + The introduction to Matrix as he comes out of the forest, with close ups on his boots, chest, biceps etc was shot and edited in a similar fashion as Leni Riefenstahl’s Nazi propaganda movies. According to director Mark L. Lester this was done to represent the notion of the invincible man of the earth emerging from the forest. + Arnold Schwarzenegger stabbed himself with a knife and had to get stitches. + Arnold Schwarzenegger was transported to the hospital three times during the filming as he was performing many of his own stunts. + In three alternate takes of Bennett’s death scene, Matrix says different lines: “I hate small talk!”; “I think it was too much pressure for you, Bennett.” and “Couldn’t take the pressure, Bennett?” + Originally, the studio execs didn’t want Arnold Schwarzenegger to talk at all in the movie. This would have been a real loss, as Arnold’s hilarious one-liners would have been sorely missed. + Filming began on 4/22/85 and wrapped on 6/6/85 after 1 month, 6 weeks, or 45 days of filming. + Arnold Schwarzenegger received a $2,000,000 salary for this film. This comes out to $5,472,118.96 in 2022 adjusted for inflation. + The $100,000 that Bennett says he was originally offered comes out to $273,605.95 in 2022. + At the beginning during the attack in his house, Matrix runs to the shed to get his gun. He punches in a security code to open the door. The code is 1 3 3, which is also the emergency number to call the police in Austria (Arnold’s native Home) + A scene that was filmed, but cut, sees General Kirby arrive at the shopping mall following Matrix’s rampage and tells the investigating police officer to reconsider going after Matrix. He warns the officer that Matrix was trained not to surrender and not go down without a fight and that the police force cannot stop him. The scene was included in the Director’s Cut special features. + The knives used by Matrix and Bennett in the fight at the end of the film were custom made for the movie by Texas knife expert Jack Crain. + This is the second of three films in which Bill Paxton and Arnold Schwarzenegger worked together, the other two being The Terminator (1984) and True Lies (1994). + Screenwriter Jeph Loeb originally wrote the script with the intention of having Gene Simmons play Matrix, but Simmons passed on it early in the developmental stage. Loeb then rewrote the script with Nick Nolte in mind as an out-of-condition former Commando. The storyline was to concern a special forces agent working in the Middle East who becomes sick of the continuous death and destruction. He leaves Israel, returns to the United States + The little red car that Cindy owns, and Arnie just about wrecks in the car chase scene, is a Sunbeam Alpine, a 1960s British sports car. + The film is inspired by DC Comics character Sgt. Rock, which star Arnold Schwarzenegger and producer Joel Silver had long attempted to make into a movie. Screenwriter Jeph Loeb had written for comics and gave Sgt. Rock’s first name (Franklin) to General Kirby, and his middle name (John) to Matrix. - Jeph Loeb is a Peabody Award-winning and two-time Emmy Nominated Writer/Producer. His television credits include Jessica Jones (2015), Luke Cage (2016), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013) and Legion (2017), as well as Lost (2004) and Smallville (2001). His career started with writing and producing the films Teen Wolf (1985) and Commando (1985). His graphic novels Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman for All Seasons have been cited as influences on Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Smallville and Gotham. + Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to do the movie because he wasn’t playing a caveman nor a robot and wouldn’t be walking around with no clothes on and that he would be playing a normal person. + Vernon Wells briefly reprises his role for Bennet (named Barrett) in the spoof movie No Chance (2020), 35 years after the original movie’s release.
Released: October 4, 1985
Directed By: Mark L. Lester
Screen Play By: Steven E. de Souza
Story By: Joseph Loeb III, Matthew Weisman & Steven E. de Souza
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells and a bunch of other actors.
Plot: A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
Taglines: If there’s a mission that no man could survive…then he’s the man for the job.
How did this movie do:Budget: $9 MillionBox Office: $58 Million
Top One-Liners
A “Muy Macho” Hero with quotable one-liners played by a recognizable star – Schwarzenegger (Matrix)
A High Body Count – 109 (102 killed by Arnold)
Vernon Wells was the first choice to be cast as Captain Bennett, mostly because of his role in Mad Max 2 (1981). Mark L. Lester stated that Wells was “the only one that could have played against him [Schwarzenegger]”. He further added Bennett was “in love with Matrix but he hated him, too. He wanted to kill him but he was in love with him
It was rumored Vernon Wells got the part of Bennett because of his performance as Wez in The Road Warrior (1981).
According to Alyssa Milano, Arnold Schwarzenegger was very protective of her on set. “He even helped with my algebra homework.”
About The Movie From IMDB
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