clydekennedy Broken Arrow is a big budget blockbuster film from John Woo starring John Travolta and Christian Slater who are pilots assigned to carry a nuclear weapon when Travolta decides to go rogue. Travolta excels as the bad guy(as also seen in Face Off) and the scenes are over the top in typical Woo fashion. Set pieces aside this is a rudimentary action film one can watch with a few friends.

smvouriot Now these were the days. Broken Arrow is a terrifically entertaining action film that reeks of 90s cheese. It's chock full of slow motion, campy dialogue and a bombastic score. The movie knows what it is and makes no pretensions about itself, which unfortunately cannot be said for many of the drab, self serious action films Hollywood pumps out nowadays. Storywise, the movie keeps things simple. Crazed Air Force Major Vic Deakins (John Travolta) has stolen two nuclear warheads and threatens to detonate them over a populated area if his demands aren't met. Now it's up to his ex-partner Riley Hale (Christian Slater) and Utah park ranger Terry Carmichael (Samantha Mathis) to foil his scheme before a major U.S. city is reduced to a mushroom cloud. This sets the stage for a relentless game of cat and mouse through the canyons of Utah, as Riley and Terry battle Vic and his henchmen for possession of the warheads. This plot is mercifully coherent and avoids the mistake many action films of today make in becoming too convoluted for their own good. As Deakins, Travolta steals the show. He is so cartoonishly over the top that he almost seems to be from a different planet from the rest of the characters. But this is how it should be. Action films live or die on the quality of their villains. Just look at some of the best ones: Die Hard, Speed, Terminator 1 and 2. Can you imagine any of these films with a lesser antagonist? A great villain is something that can turn a merely OK action flick into a great one, and Travolta's scenery chewing helps in elevating Broken Arrow closer to classic action movie status (He also gets a hilarious and over the top exit, another factor sorely lacking in today's action movie climate). While admittedly overshadowed by Travolta, Christian Slater nevertheless holds his own and creates a solid hero in Riley Hale. Samantha Mathis is fine as plucky park ranger Terry and the supporting cast is populated by reliable character actors such as Delroy Lindo, Bob Gunton and Kurtwood Smith. John Woo directs the film with style and fluidity, although his technique here is slightly more subdued compared to his earlier work. His direction and Graham Yost's script keep the film moving at a breakneck pace that never lets up. The film's pace is exhilarating, and Hans Zimmer's kinetic score further pumps up the movie. A quick note about the score. While Hans Zimmer may have received vast recognition and acclaim for his work on The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception, his compositions for Broken Arrow rank among the best he's ever done for the genre. They juice up the already thrilling action scenes into something that truly feels epic and only highlight what a difference a great score can do for a movie. Broken Arrow is a gleefully absurd 90s action flick that is pure fun from start to finish. Over the years the film seems to have been somewhat forgotten, with Woo and Travolta's subsequent collaboration Face/off overshadowing it. Admittedly, while Broken Arrow may not be quite as good as Face/off the film still holds up. It has well shot action, a brilliant score, a memorable villain and the 108 minute run time flies by. This is all further enlivened by John Woo's operatic directorial flourishes which elevate the film's scale and, consequently, making the stakes feel even larger. Perhaps most refreshingly, the movie never takes itself too seriously, which helps to inject the most important ingredient into a film of this genre. An ingredient that too many action/adventure films of today seem to have forgotten: Fun.

Yipikaye Want explosions? You got em. Want guns? Check. Want to see John and Chris (and John) before they crashed and burned? This is a good opportunity for that. Want classy support in the shape of Samantha Mathis and Frank Whaley? There is that too. This is an awesome actioner. Do not believe the reviews this film rocks. From the opening boxing match thru the helicopter vs park ranger and hero chase to the absurdly thrilling conclusion any boxes that need checking Broken Arrow checks em. Slater is terrific as the hero. Travolta is a hoot and a half as the villain. Mathis tags along for the ride whilst Whaley looks frantic a lot (but he does it so well). Delroy Lindo also appears as a good guy. Bob Gunton is superb as the exasperated boss of Travolta. The entire cast does not put a foot wrong. Aside from the excellent cast this film scores with it's amazing action. And Travolta's quips. For more John Woo see Face/Off.

jonathanmark-77048 Plot: Terrorists steal nuclear warheads from the U.S. military but don't count on a pilot and park ranger spoiling their plans.This is another movie that I don't get why people hate on it. This is the movie that introduced me to John Woo and got me into his filmography. Travolta is having a lot of fun as Deakins, Slater is very good as Hale who tries to stop Travolta from detonating the nuclear weapons. The supporting cast does a good job balancing the tone of the film with Samantha Mathis, Delroy Lindo, and Howie Long being the standouts. This has the best action of any of the John Woo films(yes, this beats Face/Off in my opinion). Woo is a master of action and uses it extremely well. This film also has one of my favorite action scores of all time by Hans Zimmer who captures the tone of the film beautifully.I personally feel this deserves the attention that Face/Off gets because this is more fun, but that's my opinion. If you've never seen this film I strongly recommend watching this if you want to watch a good popcorn flick.