rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1996
Directed by John Woo; produced by Bill Badalato, Terence Chang, Mark Gordon; written by Graham Yost
Starring John Travolta, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Delroy Lindo, Bob Gunton, Frank Whaley, Howie Long
Mindless action gets a little better than average in the hands of Asian action director John Woo, but in the United States he is given little to work with. 'Face/Off' is an exception, but earlier films 'Hard Target' and this one, as well as 'Mission: Impossible II' and 'Windtalkers', show a lot of wasted talent from both director and stars. 'Broken Arrow' is an improvement over 'Hard Target' and has John Travolta back to life after 'Pulp Fiction', but both are hardly enough to save the film.
The plot involves nuclear bombs, pilot Maj. Deakins (Travolta) who has stolen them, and pilot Capt. Hale (Christian Slater), betrayed by Deakins, who wants to return them. Slater gets a Ranger as female sidekick (Terry Carmichael), and some high officials (Delroy Lindo and Frank Whaley) to help him in the second half of the film. Travolta is surrounded by the usual tough guys and of course the man with the money (Bob Gunton), who apparently invests a lot of money in this dangerous plan to earn even more money.
The plot is ridiculous, but Travolta does make some scenes entertaining. Woo knows how to direct action and makes sure the film will appeal to teenage boys. Real action fans may find something they like as well, since the film rolls from one action scene into the next. I think this is the kind of film that worked in the 1990s, elevating the "one man against an army"-type of film Schwarzenegger and Stallone used to make. But now it just isn't working anymore. Woo's own 'Face/Off' set the standards higher and then, in 1999, 'The Matrix' came along. When it comes to action these days, people need a lot more than 'Broken Arrow' to be satisfied.