Commando (1985)

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Plot Summary

The film opens with Colonel John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a now retired special forces operative being told by his former superior commander, Major General Franklin Kirby (James Olson) that his former unit members have all been murdered by a group of mercenaries. Matrix is put into protection by Kirby, but is still attacked by the same group of mercenaries, who kill all of Kirby’s men and kidnap Matrix’s daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). Matrix attempts to save his daughter but is shot by a tranquilizer gun and taken captive by Bennett (Vernon Wells) during a fight with a couple of other mercenaries. Bennett is believed to have been killed along with the rest of Matrix’s unit.

Bennett, who was dishonorably discharged due to his disregard for order by Matrix, informs Matrix that he is to carry out a political assassination by the self-proclaimed “El Presidente” Arius (Dan Hedaya) and Arius’ army of mercenaries and former U.S. soldiers, Bennett is revealed to be in league with Arius. Being the former President of the fictional country of Val Verde, Arius wishes to retake his former position by having Matrix assassinate the new president. Matrix reluctantly agrees due to Arius having kidnapped Jenny. Matrix was also the one who helped stage a revolution against Arius in the first place.

After Matrix boards the airplane heading for Val Verde, he kills the guard Henriques and jumps from the plane just before take-off and lands in a swamp. Matrix then sets his watch for 11 hours, which is the amount of time it would take for the plane to reach Val Verde. An off-duty flight attendant Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong) is convinced by Matrix to help him. Cindy then follows Sully (David Patrick Kelly) to a shopping mall and attempts to distract Sully which alerts the guards to Matrix’s presence. After a fight breaks out between the guards and Matrix, Sully sees that Matrix is not on the flight and attempts to call Arius and inform him. Instead, Matrix rips off the phone booth while Sully was still inside and begins to chase Sully while fighting off more guards. After a car chase between Matrix and Sully, Sully is forced off the road, Matrix finds a key to the Sunspot motel where Sully is to meet up with Cooke (Bill Duke). After learning this, Matrix drops Sully off a cliff after dangling him by his ankles.

Cindy and Matrix reach the motel and ambush Cooke. Matrix impales Cooke on the leg of an overturned table. Matrix and Cindy head to a warehouse filled with weapons for Arius’ coup after finding an invoice in Cooke’s car. Once Matrix infiltrates the warehouse, he learns the location of Arius’ mansion, where Jenny is believed to be held. After arming himself with advanced weaponry, Matrix is arrested for stealing said weapons from a nearby surplus store. Cindy helps Matrix escape by firing a rocket at a van that Matrix is being held in. Matrix and Cindy then take control of a seaplane and head to the island where Arius is located.

Matrix goes one to Arius’ mansion, along the way, he wipes out a small army of 200 soldiers and eventually kills Arius in a gun fight. Meanwhile, Cindy is attempting to contact General Kirby. During the firefight, Jenny attempts to escape her captors by trying to pry the wooden boards what are nailed to the window frame, however she is seen by Bennett who chases and catches her. Matrix finally finds Jenny, but is shot in the arm by Bennett. After being taunted by Matrix, Bennett fights him in hand-to-hand combat. Matrix wins and kills Bennett by impaling him with a large metal tube. Kirby finally shows up and asks Matrix to come back to the special forces, Matrix declines and instead flies off with Cindy and Jenny.