{"id":17330,"date":"2015-06-01T00:03:45","date_gmt":"2015-06-01T07:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allouttabubblegum.com\/?p=17330"},"modified":"2021-11-07T19:21:42","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T01:21:42","slug":"amb-the-delta-force-1986","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/amb-the-delta-force-1986\/","title":{"rendered":"AMB: THE DELTA FORCE (1986)"},"content":{"rendered":"

[THE CHALK-OUTLINE]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"the-delta-force-poster\"<\/p>\n

The Delta Force (1986): Breakdown by Kain424<\/span><\/h3>\n

When an airline carrying United States citizens is hijacked, it’s up to Chuck Norris and friends to save them!<\/p>\n

[THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THEIR BADASSITUDE]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

THE GOOD GUYS:<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Chuck<\/a><\/h3>\n

Chuck Norris as Major Scott McCoy<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

At this point, why are they even bothering to name Chuck Norris something else?\u00a0 Well, Scott McCoy (really, that’s his name?) is some kind of upstanding do-gooder type, but feels he’s been screwwed over too many times by the bureaucrats in the military, but basically talking about Chuck Norris nowadays is like talking about cannabis, which now is legal every where and now the delta 8 vape cartridges are legal<\/a> too. This seems to be a mild plot device, serving only to kind explain how the terrorists were able to take over the plane full of passengers in the first place.\u00a0 If McCoy had stayed in the Delta Force (by the way, is this a job you can just quit when ever feel like it?), this never would have happened.<\/p>\n

\"Lee<\/a><\/p>\n

Lee Marvin as Colonel Nicolas “Nick” Alexander<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Let’s not beat around the bush here, Marvin is far too old and frail-looking to be doing this sort of thing.\u00a0 Even ten years prior, he would have been a worthy presence here, but the guy’s just collecting a paycheck in what would be his final role.\u00a0 That being said, his name was still apparently something of a draw, and there’s still a kind of thrill to seeing one of the previous generation’s bigger Action guys fighting the baddies alongside Chuck Norris.<\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/a><\/p>\n

Steve James as Bobby<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Yes, cult legend Steve James is here as well, though probably not as much as we’d all like.\u00a0 But damn, James is cool as hell.\u00a0 Steve James and Chuck Norris.\u00a0 They have my money.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

THE BAD GUYS:<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Terrorists\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Robert Forster and other questionably ethnic choices as Middle Eastern terrorists<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

[THE SEX AND VIOLENCE]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

EXPLOITATION AND MISOGYNY:<\/span><\/h3>\n

MURDER BY NUMBERS: [~90]<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Yeah,<\/a><\/p>\n

A lot of people die in this film.\u00a0 But hey, they’re mostly bad guys.\u00a0 While we could go on and on about the political correctness of seeing a mostly white American military force killing their way through the Middle East, it’s probably better to sit back and enjoy this dumb little movie.<\/p>\n

[THE BEST OF THE REST]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

BEST FIGHT:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Chuck Norris vs Middle Eastern Bad Guys<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Missile<\/a><\/p>\n

…On a missile bike.<\/p>\n

I have seen thousands of Action films.\u00a0 It’s well-passed a point that could be considered impressive or even healthy.\u00a0 I see giant, fireball explosions whenever I close my eyes and the sound of automatic gunfire has officially become the most soothing sound in the world for me.\u00a0 So when I say something in an Action film is amazing, you’d better fucking believe me.\u00a0 And when Chuck Norris heads out straight on in front of a convoy of heavily-armed terrorists all by himself it’s one of the most amazing images I have ever seen.\u00a0 This actually happens.<\/p>\n

After charging at them head-on, the enemy scatters like the scared sheep they are, in the face of the one-man image of American military might.\u00a0 But Chuck’s not done.\u00a0 After driving through the middle of them and causing chaos within their ranks, he circles behind them.\u00a0 Norris blasts the first of the would-be escaping terrorists with the missiles (!) on his dirt bike, preventing an easy escape for the rest.<\/p>\n

\"No<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s beautiful.<\/p>\n

BEST LINE: <\/span><\/h3>\n

Chuck Norris’s movies, intentional or not, created a persona that bordered on myth-making.\u00a0 From American spirit (Lone Wolf McQuade<\/strong><\/a>) to American hero (the Missing In Action<\/strong> films) to god amongst men (well, kind of all of them).\u00a0 What’s great is seeing this persona leak into his other films.\u00a0 When Chuck Norris finally catches up to the terrisists in The Delta Force, these brazen, bullying, bastards are literally reduced to hiding under their beds from Chuck.<\/p>\n

\"Bedtime<\/a><\/p>\n

But he finds them, kills them, and delivers this great line:<\/p>\n

“Sleep tight, sucker.”
\n<\/span><\/h3>\n

[THE EXECUTION]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Delta Force<\/strong> is, for the most part, the result of some surprisingly inept film making.\u00a0 Based on the real-life hijacking of TWA Flight 847 on Jun 14th 1985, Cannon producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus decided to capitalize on this tragic and horrific event by pumping out a feel-good version of the story to play to jingoistic American audiences.\u00a0 With nary a script, but a whole lot of promises, the two pushed to produce The Delta Force<\/strong> within a year.\u00a0 With their insane schedule and shady dealings, neither B-Action maestro Joseph Zito nor Charles Bronson would ultimately be involved.\u00a0 But that doesn’t mean the movie doesn’t work.<\/p>\n

\"So<\/a><\/p>\n

Half hijack horror movie and half insane Chuck Norris epic, The Delta Force<\/strong> is nearly the ultimate B-movie experience.\u00a0 Mixed in with some seriously well-regarded actors are some of the hammiest performances this side of Babe.\u00a0 The presence of one of the film’s producers working here as a director meant the budget was not only higher than usual for a Cannon product, but also every dollar of it ends up on the screen.\u00a0 The props are impressive, as are the stunts and the pyrotechnics.\u00a0 I even think there might be some behind-the-scenes commentary through the props used in the movie.\u00a0 A lot of the guns (in particular, the Uzi used prominently by Chuck Norris) and even the airplane escorting the titular Delta Force around are Israeli-made.\u00a0 Israeli weapons being used in the hunt for ostensibly Palestinian bad guys?\u00a0 Well then.<\/p>\n

\"Fire<\/a><\/p>\n

We have fights, large-scale gun battles, and men barely dodging aerial motorcycle whilst on fire!\u00a0 Yes, this is tragedy as entertainment.\u00a0 It’s exploitation, pure and simple.\u00a0 But damn if it isn’t fun.\u00a0 It’s Chuck Norris versus the terrorists!\u00a0 And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the movie’s score, which is completely and ridiculously dominated by an Alan Silvestri-written theme song that accomplishes more with its vocal-less fist-pumping synthesizer melody than anything Trey Parker and Matt Stone threw at us in Team America: World Police<\/strong>.\u00a0 Just listen to this thing and try not to imagine Chuck Norris riding across the the skyline in beautiful silhouette, on a rocket-shooting powercycle:<\/p>\n