Megaforce

release year: 1982
genre: action/adventure
viewing setting: home DVD 1/27/24 and 10/4/21

synopsis: A small nation is being bothered by a mercenary army, so a super-secret, super-elite fighting force is called in to help.

impressions: Wow. This movie was...so 80s. Tight pants, only a token female role, lots of tanks and gunfire and explosions. The Megaforce motorcycles and cars have rockets and stealth technology. At least the plot was simple and didn't have all the usual action-movie acts: the team is summoned, they go in and win, then encounter an unexpected problem which they must overcome. A lot of the lines (and actions) don't make perfect sense, but it is entertaining to watch.

something this movie has that no other movie has: Flying motorcycles. And if you find another movie with those, I'll posit that it still doesn't have Barry Bostwick on a flying motorcycle.

acting: Barry Bostwick and his fabulous corona of hair-beard are the team's leader, Ace Hunter! Persis Khambatta is the foreign officer who inexplicably becomes attracted to Ace Hunter and his hair. I'm not kidding - for a while she's trying to prove herself and join the Megaforce, but after being denied and left out, she does little else but just smile and grin every time Ace Hunter is there, nearby, or doing something heroic; it's like she just melted. Michael Beck is the second-in-command, a man who's clearly from the southern United States. Edward Mulhare is the foreign general of the "good" nation, and is clearly from England. Henry Silva is the mercenary general causing all the trouble, and is clearly from...well, Silva plays this role with an on-again, off-again Spanish accent that reminded me of Eli Wallach in The Magnificent Seven.

final word: Absolutely silly early-80s action cheese.

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