McBain (1992) SGE/Action RT: 102 minutes Rated R (strong war violence, language, drug use) Director: James Glickenhaus Screenplay: James Glickenhaus Music: Christopher Franke Cinematography: Robert M. Baldwin Release date: February 14, 1992 (Philadelphia, PA) Cast: Christopher Walken, Maria Conchita Alonso, Michael Ironside, Steve James, Jay Patterson, Thomas G. Waites (as “T. G. Waites”), Victor Argo, Hechter Ubarry, Russell Dennis Baker, Chick Vennera, Nigel Redding, Luis Guzman, Karen Duffy, James Glickenhaus. Box Office: $456,127 (US)
Rating: ***
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN IS McBain! It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? It would have made a good tagline, not that the one on the poster isn’t effective- “He fought one war. Now he’s fighting another. This time he won’t lose.” Sure, it’s cliched, but isn’t that part of the fun of 80s/90s action flicks about Vietnam vets taking the law into their own hands when pushed too far? In this case, it’s the murder of a friend by a South American dictator that sets off the eponymous war vet played by Christopher Walken (The Dogs of War). Only he doesn’t do it alone; he gathers his old platoon to aid him in his mission of justice and revenge.
McBain owes his life to Roberto Santos (Vennera, High Risk) for rescuing him from a POW camp in the final days of the war. It’s a debt he promises to honor should he ever receive the other half of the torn $100 bill given to him by Santos. Now a freedom fighter in Colombia, Santos and his small army attempt to overthrow Presidente Mendoza (Argo, Taxi Driver), a brutal leader heavily involved in his country’s drug trade. He keeps everybody hooked on coca leaves (used to make cocaine) to guarantee their non-resistance. Mendoza’s army helps him gain the upper hand and he executes Santos on the spot. McBain sees it on TV back in New York so he isn’t surprised when his late friend’s sister Maria (Alonso, Predator 2) shows up asking for help.
McBain, in turn, reunites his old squad- Eastland (James, American Ninja), Gill (Waites, The Thing) and Dalton (Patterson, Street Smart)- who are only too willing to join him on his mission. Their other comrade, wealthy weapons dealer Frank (Ironside, Total Recall), isn’t so eager. He can get them what they need for only $10 million (oh, is that all?!), but wants no further involvement. In order to get the needed funds, the foursome first tries robbing a crack house before shifting their attention to a mob boss who they kidnap and dangle from a crane high over the ground below until he agrees to pay them off in the amount they’re after. McBain and company not only get their arsenal and transport (a plane), they also get Frank who’s changed his mind about helping them. Well, you knew that would happen, right?
This is where the action really kicks in. After a US military pilot Daly (Baker, True Colors) helps the guys take on a couple of fighter planes, they land in Colombia where Maria has already begun a ground assault on a coca plant field. It’s all out war as McBain and his squad make their way to the Presidential palace in Bogota to get Mendoza and help Maria free the people. I didn’t get an accurate body count, but I think it’s bigger than the average Rambo movie.
What really compelled me to see McBain when it came out was James Glickenhaus, that purveyor of violence behind grindhouse classics like The Exterminator and The Soldier. He writes and directs McBain with the same storytelling care as his previous efforts. That is to say, he’s not the strongest storyteller in the world. His screenplays are generally filled with plot holes. Take Maria’s trip to America and back home. We never see her cross the border either way. How does she manage it? Also, how can she afford it? Right before she leaves, she collects a few dollars and trinkets from her fellow villagers to fund her efforts. It’s barely enough to buy dinner at a fast food joint.
Then there’s the believability factor. I know that plausibility isn’t exactly a priority in dopey action movies, but McBain borders on ridiculous. To call Glickenhaus’ films implausible would be a gross understatement. Look at the stuff the heroes get away with here. They raid a crack house with guns blazing. Many gang members get shot; one guy goes out a window and lands on top of a parked car. Where are the police during all this? They kidnap a major crime figure with alarming ease. Nobody comes looking for them, not cops or mobsters. And how do they manage to get to the top of a tall building under construction and operate machinery without attracting attention? Then, of course, there the whole idea of six Americans- at one point, they refer to themselves as “The Dirty Half Dozen”- staging a coup in a foreign country without the CIA knowing about it first. It makes no sense since they’re usually right on top of such things in Glickenhaus’ movies. Look how quickly they dealt with the vigilante situation in The Exterminator. It may not sound like it, but I really do enjoy the filmmaker’s work, narrative deficiencies and all.
Walken is a good leading man, we already know that. He’s a good actor in general. He can also sing and dance, two skills not on display in McBain. What is on display is his bad assery. He makes a solid action hero. Hey, he’s McBain! He doesn’t do it alone however. He’s helped by a cool supporting cast that includes the late, great Steve James, Ironside in a rare good guy role and Alonso who trades in sexy for tough as Maria. Waites and Patterson are also good. Argo makes a truly despicable villain. It’s one of the baddest casts I’ve ever seen.
When McBain hit theaters in early ’92, cheap exploitation movies were being transitioned from theaters to video stores. It’s the last Glickenhaus movie that played in theaters. He made two more films, Slaughter of the Innocents (1993) and Timemaster (1995), before hanging it up as a director. I’d like to see him make a comeback someday. As for McBain, I like it. It’s a neat Saturday night action flick. It has plenty of action and violence. It’s pure silliness, but how is that different from any other B-level actioner?
