Ahh, the eighties – big hair and even bigger action movies. Weren’t they great? Well, ‘Navy Seals’ may feel like an eighties action movies, but it was technically released in 1990 (I figure it was in production in the latter stages of the eighties, so I reckon it’s an eighties movie at heart!).
Basically, Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn have to lead their platoon on a fight against a load of those dastardly communists before they blow up something they shouldn’t. It’s hard to believe that Charlie Sheen was ever once considered an ‘action star.’ He does his best to lead the way here, exhibiting a few manic onscreen qualities that, at the time, looked like he was trying to give his character some sort of ‘maverick’ feel (think Mel Gibson in the ‘Lethal Weapon’ series). However, seeing as what he turned into, I wonder whether this side of him was always there?
It’s a simple movie for a simpler time. It’ll never be remembered alongside the truly great (and explosive) action movies of the eighties, mainly fronted by the ‘big’ action stars like Arnie, Sly, Bruce and possibly Van Damme. But, despite its averageness, it’s still an enjoyable watch if you’re looking for goodies vs baddies.
I guess that the fact that the two main stars weren’t ‘A-list’ went some way to defining ‘Navy Seals’ as a B-movie through and through. You certainly won’t remember any of the other seals besides the two leads. Despite one being played by Bill Paxton, none of them are afforded half as much screen-time as the two leads. It feels only slightly more expensive than a ‘made for TV’ film. We see the team of seals on their days off and watch them messing around (bonding?) before being sent on various missions. Naturally, the suits in charge of their unit want to play politics and create some extra friction, but our rebellious heroes will win the day nonetheless.
I read online that Michael Biehn (he was in ‘Terminator’ and ‘Aliens’ in case you don’t know him – I assume most people know Charlie Sheen from his weird meltdown antics later on in life!) described the film as one of the worst he had ever worked on. Assuming that Charlie Sheen was actually sane back then and Biehn wasn’t referring to working with him, I assume he means that it was simply a ‘paycheque’ film. It does feel like it from time to time, but, despite its many clichés, it’s not a bad film if you’re just looking for a cheesy action shooty type affair. You’ll probably find it on TV sooner or later, or an online streaming service. Definitely one to have on in the background. Plus it’s a reminder of what Charlie Sheen could do when he was at his prime.
6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights
No comments:
Post a Comment