Fine Cinema
For too long, the comedy film genre has been represented too narrowly by only intentionally funny movies. I think it’s high time that we expand this category to include that most underappreciated of subgenres: cheesy, formulaic action movies from the ’80s and early ’90s. You know their hallmarks well - unlikely plots, laughable dialogue, music produced in the basement of a synthesizer company’s warehouse, and probably a mullet or two.
Cheesy action movies are subtle and varied. Many have become instantly recognizable classics, from Arnie and Sly’s early character studies (ahem) to Seagal’s Three-Word Transitionals (e.g. Above the Law, Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, Out for Justice, On Deadly Ground). The magnum opus is, without a doubt, Commando. A friend of mine recently summed up its merits quite nicely: “Imagine a film stripped of any semblance of plot and reduced to pure, unadulterated action. It is the Google of action movies - simple, easy to understand, almost elegant. That is Commando.”
Memorable one-liners, a gratuitous “suiting-up” scene, and the implausible annihilation of an entire army by one man. Commando has them all. Check out this message board for a complete discussion.
