`Arrow' features brawn, not brain
For those of you who did not rush to see Broken Arrow on opening night, this is a movie where John Travolta is, for once, not the hero.
Instead, he's an Air Force fighter pilot who gets a little too much radiation from the nukes he carries in his Stealth bomber and has the bright idea of extorting money from the United States government by stealing not one, but two, nuclear weapons and holding the Southwest hostage. Christian Slater is the upstart young lieutenant whose sole purpose is to save the world and get the girl. How original.
Did we mention that the girl, Samantha Mathis, is a park ranger who just so happens to be a Barbie TM doll with Rambo-like tendencies and has a makeup artist hiding behind every cactus? Mathis and Slater overcome every conceivable obstacle possible in the race to thwart Travolta's nefarious scheme, effectively outwitting a man who has proven himself consistently stronger and smarter than them as well as the fumbling bureaucracy of the U.S. government. Their wild romp through the Utah and Arizona deserts is predictable and campy and leaves a lot to be desired in the area of accurate portrayal of military procedure.
Now, don't get the idea that we didn't like the movie. The first thing out of our mouths as the credits began to roll was, "That was so cool!" Director John Woo, who made his name directing violent karate movies, has toned down the gore and added mildly meaningful dialogue.
But seriously, who really expects a solution to all the problems of the world in two hours, especially at the cost of $3.75? Broken Arrow has the right amount of social commentary against the misuse of nuclear weapons without preaching, and it has more than enough action to keep our adrenaline pumping (as if the babes aren't enough).
Speaking of action, what more could you ask for than the destruction of a Stealth bomber, several Humvees, a train, a helicopter and a nuclear bomb? Add parachuting, an abandoned copper mine, a boxing sequence and lots of bullets and you have got yourself one heck of an action flick.
Howie Long skillfully loans the traditional brawn as the trigger-happy big dumb guy; Travolta's character constantly has to remind him not to shoot at the thermonuclear weapons. But who can blame him for trying?
The plot was basically a vehicle for the action, and the action was a vehicle for the stars -- but that was all right with us. Broken Arrow is an exciting ride through the fant- asies of pyrotechnicians, 12-year-old boys and 19-year-old women alike, just the way action films are meant to be.
All things considered, if you are a member of the ROTC, throw your rulebook out the window as you speed to see this movie. But for everyone else, you don't know any better anyway, so you might as well skip your Friday lab and partake of the sinful pleasure of seeing a movie that doesn't make you think too much, but still keeps you on the edge of your seat.
For those of you who love any movie filled with more than its quota of explosions and buffed guys and for those who have more discern- ing taste and actually like a bit of plot, Broken Arrow will most certainly not disappoint you.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the February 16, 1996 issue.
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