TERMINAL VELOCITY

US, 1994, 103 minutes, Colour.
Charlie Sheen, Nastassja Kinski, James Gandolfini, Christopher Mc Donald, Melvin Van Peebles.
Directed by Deran Sarafian.

Terminal Velocity is an entertaining, if farfetched, action adventure. It is a star vehicle for Charlie Sheen (who uses his gritted, jut-jaw style) and Nastassja Kinski as a very energetic heroine. James Gandolfini is a sinister, if smiling, villain.

The film is in the atmosphere of True Lies and Drop Zone - with some farfetched stunts which might make the makers of True Lies rather envious, and some free-fall and parachuting scenes which might make the makers of Drop Zone envious.
However, it may well have 'borrowed' some of its plot from Hitchcock's Vertigo.

The film is rather complicated with ex-KGB (KG used to be) agents on the make in America. The film has the courage of its convictions and is interesting, exciting and pacy. The director is Deran Sarafian, son of director Richard Sarafian.

1.Action show, stunts, effects? The US and the Russians in the '90s? The ex-KGB agents?

2.Arizona settings, Panavision, landscapes, the road, the sky sequences? Stunt work, special effects? Musical score and songs?

3.The title and audience expectations?

4.The conventions of the action thriller, audience expectations? The treatment as tongue-in-cheek? Serious but farfetched?

5.Charlie Sheen as Ditch: parachuting, falling through the city canyons, the literally cheeky invitation? His mistake at the celebration, the arrest? Out of jail, the parachuting company and the arguments? Penalties? His having to tidy up and shape up? Personality, responsibility and irresponsibility?

6.The opening sequences with the girl driving, the plane and its sudden landing? The mysterious phone calls? The murder of the girl, the killers? Their brutality, the mystery?

7.Chris and her wanting a lesson, her girlish manner, using Ditch? The men wanting to help her, Ditch's response? (The parallel with the plot of Vertigo for the mystery of the body falling from the plane?) Her manner in the plane, her disappearance, the free-fall, the discussion with the pilot? Ditch and his falling and trying to save her? The police? Ditch getting the wallet, following the leads, going to the apartment, encountering the killers? Following the clues and ultimately finding Chris and Lex? Their wondering why he took so long?

8.The district attorney, his insinuating manner, his inquiries, the interrogation of Ditch? The irony that he was the ex-KGB chief?

9.The explanation of the mystery, the break-up of the Soviet Union, the KGB and their contacts, wanting to make money? The gold shipment? Chris and her story of her family and the three-legged dog? Persuading Ditch? Their going to the plant, stopping the current, going to the room, getting the cylinder? The hang-gliding? The Russian killers arriving, the pursuit? His flying away? The vehicle chase? The cylinder, finding the location of the plane?

10.The gold, Ditch and Chris on the plane? The dead bodies, the gold? Their being stopped by the criminals? The escape down the plane, taking the vehicle, going to town? The clash and their breaking up? Chris and the photos - and her willingness to testify that she was not dead and save Ditch?

11.The sequence at the airport, Ditch and his finding the truth, commandeering the cars, the chase? The transfer of the gold? The KGB officers and their plan? The car, Chris in the boot of the car? Ditch and his discussion with Chuck, getting the plane, doing the stunt work? Getting into the flying plane after the stunts? The conflict with the killers, the rescue, the car free-falling, the KGB killer going to his death? Ditch and the key of the car, trying to rescue Chris? The safe landing - and the parallel with their encounter with the inventor, his helping them, being shot, their taking his speed machine and the ejection from it?

12.The KGB, the fight, being stabbed? The ultimate fight after his reappearance? Ditch pulling the parachute cord and his going into the oil machinery?

13.The humorous aftermath, Moscow, the ceremony and the speeches, the presentation of the medals, the family and the three-legged dog?

14.An enjoyable combination of adventure, suspension of disbelief, adrenalin-pumping action, humour and heroics?