Amazon.com video review:
John Travolta is Vic Deakins, a bomber pilot
who launches a devilish plan to hijack two nuclear missiles for
big-time extortion. Vic never sweats, spews out great one-liners, knocks off
money
men with glee, toys with killing half a million people... he even smokes!
If you giggled at his "Ain't it cool" line from the trailer, you're in
the right frame of mind for this comedic action film. Never as gritty or
semi-realistic--or for that matter as heart-thumping--as the original
Die
Hard, Broken Arrow still delivers. If Travolta is cast
against type,
everyone else is by the numbers; Christian Slater as Hale, the earnest
copilot looking
to foil the plot, Samantha Mathis as the brave park ranger caught in the
middle, Frank Whaley as an eager diplomat, Delroy Lindo as a
right-minded
colonel. As with his previous script (the superior Speed), writer
Graham
Yost moves everything quickly along as Hale and the ranger try to cut
off
Deakins's plan over a variety of terrains. We have plane crashes, car
chases, a pursuit through an abandoned mine, a helicopter-train shootout,
and lots of fighting between boys. Each time Hale finds himself
perfectly
in place to foil Deakins. You're suppose to laugh at the unbelievable
situations. That's where Arrow is deceptive: its tone is right
for the
laughter compared to the mean-spirited Schwarzenegger and Stallone
action
films with labored jokes. Hong Kong master director John Woo (The
Killer,
Hard Target) pulls out all the stops--slow motion of Hale and
Deakins's
gymnastic gun play, nifty stunts, countdowns to doomsday. Woo may know
action, but he needs more guidance in creating unique and stunning
special effects. This is action entertainment at its cheesiest. Travolta and Woo
later reteamed for Face/Off. --Doug Thomas
