The Rescue (1988) User Reviews

Old favourite, worth at least one viewing

[natepc · 6/10 · 25 November 2006]

It could be being raised by a military family, or just my love of everything from my childhood, but I have highly enjoyed this film since I first saw it.

After a team of Navy Seals are captured by North Koreans upon completion of their mission, the children of the team embark on an attempt to rescue their parents using a rejected rescue plan. while not the best action movie ever made, the plot keeps chugging along at a comparatively quick pace. Not nearly as special-effects heavy as movies today, it still manages to hold my attention.

All in all, this movie is one to be enjoyed, especially if you have any knowledge of what it is like to have someone serving in the military.

Highly incredulous and implausible

[Mike-DD · 3/10 · 22 September 2000]

I like movies that have some realism in them, except if realism will spoil the effect, like in fantasy or science fiction movies. This, however, is about a group of kids going into North Korea to save their parents. That is already highly incredulous as a main plot setting, but the way it is played out makes it impossible to believe at all. Though it may be remotely possible that things can happen the way they did in the movie, the plausibility rating is so low as to be unbelievable.

For example, kids with no formal training who can shadow suspects, evade guards, slip into fortresses totally unnoticed, practice cover and concealment from professional soldiers without training at all....and much much more. See it to believe it, or rather, to disbelieve it. The only saving grace is somewhat okay acting from the young cast, though at times it is very grating to see them in such contrived settings.

The Rescue -- Entertaining silliness

[jonathanruano · 7/10 · 23 October 2009]

Three Navy seals successfully complete their mission in international waters off the coast of North Korea, but are captured by the North Koreans and charged with espionage. They could be executed. Back on a U.S. base in South Korea are the children of the five seals, JJ Merrill (Kevin Dillon), Shawn Howard (Ned Vaughn) and Adrian Phillips (Christine Harnos) who decided to rescue their dads after the U.S. president decides that the rescue mission, called Operation Phoenix, is not practicable. They steal the plans for Operation Phoenix, steal a speed boat and then embark on an all-night journey to North Korea. Max (Marc Price) inadvertently tags along as does Shawn's little brother. Now obviously the plot of "The Rescue" is preposterous and predictable, but it is also a lot of fun to watch. The cinematography often looks great that, unless you did not know better, you would think they were filming this movie in North Korea. The energy and enthusiasm of the actors, who seem to have as much fun playing their roles as we have watching them, does often seem silly, but it gives a whole new life to the script and the film. Also unarmed kids staging their own rescue mission inside North Korea is an inherently fun idea that plays off of wholesome notions, like the bond between children and their parents. If you have a few drinks in you and are looking for some light entertainment or if you are below the age of 10, then this film is probably the right one for you.

Rambo For Kids

[Deniro68 · 16 January 1999]

I first saw this movie when I was 10. It had just come out and I had an interest in that sort of thing.Back then I loved it. Looking back it seems kind of ludicrous. But I can still view it and enjoy it despite the fact that it is somewhat dated today. The film was very appropriate for is time, the height of the Reagan era.If you happen to stumble across this movie on cable it is worthwhile viewing.

Possibly The Worst Waste of Theater Admission Ever

[gristleizer · 1/10 · 9 January 2006]

And that's saying a lot, since I saw it as part of a double-bill with "Mannequin" (talk about an ultimate awful film double feature for the ages!) for $2 at the discount cinema. All I have to say to show how preposterous the whole plot was is this: THE KIDS WHOOP THE RED ARMY AND RESCUE THEIR DADS USING A COUPLE OF BOTTLE ROCKETS AND M80's!!!!! That, and that "Mannequin" was the "better movie" in that double feature that I saw that day. The only movie I can think of that had a less plausible plot to it was "Weekend At Bernie's II"....and even that's still debatable. If a bunch of snot nose kids can defeat the army of the most populous nation in the world, why do we even bother to have such a high military budget? Obviously, according to Disney with this movie, you can go to your local Chinatown with, say, a couple hundred bucks and get all the arms you need to defeat a superpower from the illegal unsafe and insane fireworks dealer. Why spend so much money on rocket launchers and automatic rifles when you can arm the US troops with roman candles and cherry bombs for 1/100 the price...with better results. Damn...the curse in Mannequin was more plausible. Avoid this film like a hooker with tons of "cold sores".

CHEER! - (7 stars out of 10)

[BJG-Reviews · 7/10 · 28 January 2019]

The stage curtains open ...

In the shadow of movies like "Iron Eagle" comes this fun, crowd-pleaser. A Navy SEAL team is sent into North Korea on a rescue mission, but are captured and imprisoned where they await trial for espionage. If they are found guilty, they will be executed. The teenage children of these four men catch wind of a proposed rescue operation that is discussed by military brass but then decided against to keep the peace. Enraged and frustrated, the teenagers come up with their own daring plan to infiltrate the facility where their parents are being held captive and bring them back home.

As unlikely as any of this is, I found myself really enjoying this film. It is pure adolescent fantasy, but a rousing story of courage and overcoming impossible odds to rescue the ones you love. It is also a coming-of-age tale for one of the teenagers in particular as he wants the chance to restore a good relationship with his father and gain his approval, which he so desperately needs. The acting is decent, the pacing is good, there is comedy and action.

For a fun movie experience, I recommend this one. I've seen it more than a few times over the years and am happy to have it in my own personal collection. It is dated and when it comes down to it, unrealistic. But overall, a good experience.

Iron Eagle wanna be

[statsgod · 2/10 · 5 January 2017]

Imagine Iron Eagle is your favorite crazy uncle. This movie is Iron Eagle's ex-wife's cousin's adopted red headed step child. Pretty bad.

Have to watch it once.

Look out for Skippy from Family Ties. The lesser Dillon brother was nominated for an award for this.

At no point are we privy to the escape plan. Apparently the actors weren't either. Brings back memories of Golan Globus, but in a bad way.

*Spoiler* You will see a concert T-shirt with The Boss.

Once the jets realized it wasn't the North Koreans, wouldn't they have escorted the plane?

The Vidiot Reviews

[capone666 · 7/10 · 20 February 2013]

The Rescue

The best thing about leading a rescue mission to North Korea is you can openly discus it on the Internet and they'll never know.

However, the Internet - prohibited or otherwise - did not exist at the time this action movie was filmed.

When their Navy SEAL fathers (James Cromwell, Timothy Carhart, Edward Albert) are imprisoned in North Korea for spying, Max (Marc Price), Shawn (Ned Vaughn), Adrian (Christine Harnos), Bobby (Ian Giatti) and J.J. (Kevin Dillon) adopt the Navy's abandoned rescue plan for themselves.

Despite difficulties, the teens manage to reach their fathers. Then with a stolen military uniform and co-opted fireworks display, they implement a stunning jailbreak.

While the heroes of this 1988 adventure are improbable, their actions are inspiring and their methods are amusing.

But most touching of all is the fact that these teenagers didn't just sneak into North Korea to borrow their dad's car keys.

Green Light

vidiotreviews.blogspot.com

"The Rescuers" was more realistic.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 16 December 2023]

A group of kids from two families escape from the harsh realities of high school and overbearing moms to head to South Korea to rescue their captive fathers. Led by Kevin Dillon, they're able to raise the money to get there, evade capture by the military, get assistance from Korean rebels and get ahold of weapons. It's three boys and one girl (I'm surprised that Dillon didn't say "Girls ruin everything" by her stubborn insistence on goung), and without any type of formal rescue training, it's only because of the preposterous script that you know they're going to succeed.

Eye rolling, head shaking and belly pain laughable, this is a "teen power" action film that has to be seen to be believed. James Cromwell and Edward Albert co-star, but the overactive kids dominate. This has been called a teen "Rambo", and watching this right after watching "Rambo III" (released the same year), I agree. I guess recent puberty must do something to the teenage fear factor as none of them worry at all about their mission impossible. Definitely one of the worst teen movies of the 80's. I'll give it credit and an extra point for keeping me to the end. I wasn't bored, just mortified.

Ignore the Critics..This one is for everyone who Dreams Big!

[mystrk77 · 10/10 · 12 January 2007]

While this may not be the best made or best acted movie, the ideals are sound. I loved this movie as a kid because it made me dream big. With movies like this, I though I could do anything as long as I was smart enough and wanted to work hard enough to achieve it. Acting and plot are not everything, and this movie is one of the greatest examples of going against the odds and doing what seems impossible. Today's movies for families rely on magic (Harry Potter, Narnia), animals (Dreamer, Air Budd), or computer graphics (Cars, Shrek). While these movies are great, they don't have the innocence and imagined realism that "The Rescue" does. I am dying to get this movie on DVD, and will not feel like my collection is complete without it.

Must stay...awake..til movie...endszzzzzzzz

[JohnSeal · 2/10 · 3 October 1999]

Truly boring Reagan-era flag-waving nonsense, with patriotic super kids rescuing their dads from evil towel-heads. You'll struggle to keep your eyes open through all the non-thrills this Disney pic delivers. The one and only bright spot is the always reliable James Cromwell in a very small role.

great kids movie

[defstar82 · 10/10 · 9 September 2004]

This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I saw it on the Disney channel, and although I didn't completely understand the war ethics of the movie, it was about these kids who have a plan to save their dads, who are prisoners of war. Their fathers were captured by North Koreans while fighting on the side of South Koreans. A rescue mission is planned, and then thrown out, so the kids decided to take it into their own hands. The movie is highly unrealistic, but I always enjoyed it every time I watched it as a kid.

One of my all-time favorites

[TravelingWings · 9/10 · 21 October 2006]

I've seen this film 40 plus times. I watch it more than once a year, because the action is rousing; the kids are convincing and courageous; the underlying theme (that family love combined with incredible good luck :) can win the day) is uplifting; and even the soundtrack is great. It's a little slow in the beginning (which is why I give it a 9 instead of 10) and is obviously dated (Kevin Dillon in 1988.) Because of the nature of human relationships between parents and their kids - and because of the current political climate and threats from North Korea - this film remains relevant today, in 2006. I'm hoping to see it soon on one of the cable movie channels.

The Best Kid's V. Commie Movie

[enochbrandon · 10/10 · 16 December 2007]

I saw this in the theater when it came out and it made a big impression on me that lasts until today. I have long searched to find in on DVD and will buy it when I can. I thought that this movie was one of the best released in the eighties dealing with this subject. The characters are the kind of kid's that you'd like to hang out with and you are not unwilling to suspend disbelief for a short time and have good entertainment. The plot, the characters, and the material are all well thought out and put in place. The shooting is well executed and, now living in Korea, the locales are perfectly representative of the North. The director and the production designers did their job well and you can tell that this was not a "slapdash" movie like Haunted Mansion or the minions of other rush jobs Disney and their partners have put out recently. The differences between the North and South in this movie should not be overlooked. The tensions between the two countries have never been higher and I think that with the current political scene the action takes on a lot more meaning.

An instant classic!

[BlackICE-2 · 10/10 · 6 January 2000]

Action? Adventure? These words are not enough to describe "The Rescue". If you love movies about kids who saving their military dads from Asian captors, then brother grab some popcorn, 'cause you're in for one *WILD* ride! From boat chases, to the gratuitous use of holiday explosives, "The Rescue" has it all. "The Matrix"? Bah! See "The Rescue" instead. You won't regret it.

Fantastic movie for whole family

[jenniferparton · 10/10 · 18 June 2007]

I remember watching this movie as a kid. My bother was only 6 and he watched it over and over and over. He is 20 now and knows the movie word for word. I have a five year old and am trying to locate a copy of this movie so he can enjoy it as I have. Family friendly, yet exciting enough even for the most action involved fanatic. Watching this movie is like reading a good book; you just cannot put it down. You are pulled into the story and plot line and kept eyes wide open through the whole thing. No matter how many times you have watched it you have to pause the movie to go to the restroom so as not to miss a thing. Suspense, action, comedy, romance, yet clean. Why can't the movie industry make more movies like this today!

This movie sucks big time!

[mikko-23 · 9 October 2000]

Uh oh.

I would put this movie in the same category as Iron Eagle and Red Dawn. No movie can be worse, honestly.

When I read these comments I was very surprised that many of the people even said it was an OK movie!

Oh, please, Hollywood, never ever make anything like this again.

(Ok, I haven't seen Battlefield: Earth yet)

the Set

[[e-mail] · 24 September 2004]

It is Interesting to note that "the Rescue"(1986?) set still stands on the Deer Park Heights outside Queenstown New Zealand. It is the same hill that George Lucas Filmed "the Willow" in 1988 and more recently several locations for the Lord of the Rings. The hill is open to the public via a Toll Gate. The North Korean style building seems a strange thing to come across in New Zealand but it catches the attention of bus loads of Asian Tourists who got up there to see the mountain lake that the refugees of Rohan file past on retreat from the evil minions of Saramon of Isengard... Who most likely never heard of this Disney Made for TV Movie whos presents looms spookily just out of shot.