RUSSKIES

US, 1987, 98 minutes, Colour.
Joaquin (Leaf) Phoenix, Peter Billingsley, Whip Hubley.
Directed by Rick Rosenthal.

Russkies is a film designed for family audiences, especially those with boys about 12. This is an '80s version of Norman Jewison's The Russians Are Coming of 1966. Three very gung-ho lads find a Russian on the shore at Key West, Florida.. While prepared to take him prisoner, they-)are gradually won over by his humanity and eventually want to take him by boat to Cuba so that he can escape from the U.S. In the meantime he has shared the 4th. of July with them, met some of their family, been tied up with an industrial espionage plot with other Russians.

The film might be seen as an example of detente and Glasnost of the mid'80s, a change of atmosphere from many films of the Reagan era e.g. Iron Eagle (also with a boy) and Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone films. There is a joke at the expense of Chuck Norris during the film.

The movie is tongue-in-cheek, full of sentiment - a nice message film, fairly predictable, yet persuasive for a young audience. Whip Hubley is quite engaging as Mischa the Russian. The boys are played with a mixture of innocence and precocity. (Joaquin Phoenix grew up to be a star actor.) Direction is by Rick Rosenthal (Bad Boys seen advertised during the film - and Halloween II).

1. An enjoyable film? Audience intended? Age? Americans? World wide?

2. Florida, Key West, the U.S. and the 4th. of July? The military base? American lifestyle? Seen through Russian eyes? The musical score and the songs?

3. The title and its attitude? America and the '80s, the Cold War, the Reagan era? Films of the period? American detente, Russian Glasnost, the accord between Reagan and Gorbachev and this film in its atmosphere?

4. The kids and their gung-ho attitudes, the poster of Arnold Schwarzenegger (and the slogan 'Let's party')? Comic books, Captain Slammer, the fights, the violence, 'awesome'? Their headquarters, their activities? Where did they get their attitudes? Ingrained, warmongering, dangerous?

5. The Russians and their mission, the storm, Mischa and the raft, the order, the overturning, Mischa landing, the boys finding the book, his hiding? Their industrial espionage plan? Their contact and his leaving? The two men later visiting him? His being arrested?

6. The boys and their interactions, friendship, at home, Adam with his parents, Jason with his father, Danny and the parents breaking up, his sister? Their macho world, the boat? Finding Mischa, their attitudes, telling their parents about the Russian invasion? The sister's offhand remark about Chuck Norris? Adam on guard, Mischa's trustworthiness, the toilet, card-playing? Jason and his suspicions? Danny and his continuing suspicions? The vodka, the taped interview? Its later use?

7. The boys mellowing, the 4th. of July, the collage of Mischa's clothes, getting the sister to mend the collarbone, the romantic interlude? The gung-ho Corporal and the fish, Misha putting it back into the water, the fight? Their enjoying of the day at the carnival? The encounter between Danny's father and Mischa, the talk about Hungarian Revolution and Russian soldiers? The plan to get Mischa to Cuba? The boat, the detail, the buying? Getting the sister in on the
act? The boat leaving?

8. The sketch of each boy? Danny and his loneliness because of the parents' divorce? Adam and his family and the games with the boys? Jason's bond with his father? The parents' concern about their children?

9. Mischa, an attractive Russian sailor, radio operator, not knowing the plan, the encounter with the boys, honourable, looking at American, longing for home, forced into violence, saving Danny, being saved by Danny's father? The farewells?

10. The reappearance of the Russians, their tough attitudes, the humour of their American disguise with the golf clubs, forcing Mischa to go to the base, the alarm, the boats and the chase? Their being attacked at the end by their Captain?

11. The Sergeant and the image of the ugly American, with the fish, fighting Mischa, the meeting in the lane and the bashing, his gung-ho attitude in the pursuit, holding the gun? Being persuaded to lower it? In deep trouble?

12. The parents, the officers, the military background, the divorced couple? Their style, serious? Phoning each other? The boat chase? Danny's father diving in? The confrontation on the boat?

13. The situation - plausible, comic? Silly yet dangerous? The shooting? Danny and the Captain Slammer machine? His being shot down? The rescues, the confrontation, the reconciliation ending?

14. The message: detente, enemies in name but human friendliness, attractiveness? The stupidity of hostility? Sentiment?