BULLETPROOF
US, 1987, 90 minutes, Colour.
Gary Busey, Darlene Flugel, L.Q.Jones, Henry Silva.
Directed by Steve Carver.
Bulletproof, as the name suggests, is an action show. It is old fashioned in its conception, the good Americans clashing with the evil Russians, Iranians, Latin Americans. (These are all presented as sneering, unredeemable villains.) However, the weaponry is now high-tech instead of the old-fashioned ammunition.
The film introduces Gary Busey as Bulletproof. It is a nickname because of his luck. He is an ex-CIA man, a skilled loner in the police force who is called back to do a rescue operation in Mexico.
Gary Busey excelled at this type of action movie in the mid?80s (Lethal Weapon, Eye of the Tiger). There is a standard supporting cast who have been doing this kind of thing for decades: L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Luke Askew as well as Henry Silva in yet another sneering enemy role. Darlene Fluegel is an intrepid heroine. (There is a touch of righteousness given to the movie in having a priest and two nuns as being part of the hostages taken in Mexico, with the threatening of the blowing up of the church.)
Director is Steve Carver, director of action features including Drum, The Arena, Big Bad Momma.
Jingoistic in the extreme (just pre-dating glasnost).
1. The popularity of this kind of macho action story? American gung-ho and righteousness? The sneering enemies? Slam-bang action? Might is right?
2. American locations with the opening and the confrontation of the arms dealers? Mexico and the action sequences? Special effects and stunt work? Songs and musical score?
3. The title, Gary Busey as hero and bulletproof? His taking bullets out of himself ? 39? Luck? Skill?
4. The introduction, Mc Lean and his partner, partner asleep, waiting, no back-up, McLean's derring-do, the arms dealers, his attack, the shooting, the car pursuit, the truck, explosions? Success? Mc Lean going home, the girlfriend? The arrival of the CIA?
5. The new weaponry, the general's plan, the rebel group in Mexico? The scouting expedition? It going wrong, the ambush, the deaths, the imprisonment of Shepherd and the officer? The hostages, including the priest and nuns in the church? The set-up in the camp, the Russians, Iranians, Latin- Americans ?all training as terrorists?
6. The persuasion for Mc Lean to go on the mission? The girl? His memory of being responsible for his friend's death? His going, the contact, the boy who betrayed them? His swift action, commandeering a tank, going into the middle of the camp, explosives? His being taken and tied up? The irony of the girl giving him the grenade? His rolling away, explosions, escape, taking the jeep again? Getting the guns, the massacre of the enemy, into the town with the weapon, the shoot ups, the helicopter? The final confrontation? The irony of the Russian being responsible for his friend's death years before? Success of the mission?
7. Shepherd and her place in the expedition, abused by the enemy chief? In the church? Dismantling the weapon? With the grenade? Her joining in the attack, helping with the weaponry and the technology, her confrontation with her enemy, the machine going over him?
8. The officer, his offering to give his life, skills, getting the hostages out of the church before it was to be burnt? The deaths of the hostages?
9. The members of the rebel group, terrorists, their callousness, training, weaponry? The massacre?.
10. The underlying mentality behind this kind of action film? Pro-America? Communist enemies? Middle East terrorist enemies? Latin America? The gun, might is right?. American heroism?
